Delapidated Things

Delapidated: decayed, deteriorated, or fallen into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse

I have always wondered why a building would begin to fall apart when no one lived in it. It doesn’t make total sense to me. I literally begins to fall apart. But why?

I looked it up but couldn’t find anything that explained this process of decline that comes as a result of neglect. There are all sorts of materials to consider. Bricks will faire better that wood structures, for example. No matter what type of material it is, however, it will need to be maintained and kept up over time.

Relationships are similar… they must be maintained. Maintenance will look different at various stages of life. Often there is an ebb and flow to them as we transition through seasons of our lives. Still, ‘connection’, maintenance, is necessary. Even if that is once a day for a relationship with a family member; once a week for another or even longer for other friendships in your life. It is important to ‘make the connection’!

Life can be so hectic that it can be challenging to find ‘connecting times’. Often in the midst of our personal challenges and storms, there is so much energy being poured into survival that there is little room for these seeming insignificant moments. Maintaining our relationships is crucial, however.

Just as a house changes, ages and settles throughout the year, the same can be said of those that we care about the most. Each of us is always changing, always aging and always settling more into our individuality. While sometimes we may be grateful that we have been fortunate to miss tumultuous portions of people’s lives and catch them on the other side of it all, we should remember that none of us come out of those situations unaffected. We will be different.

Relationship ‘houses’ that are maintained are kept current. The may need to be rearranged to meet ever changing needs and accommodate additions to the family as they change. Situations and misunderstandings can wreck our relationships if they are not dealt with appropriately when they first pop up. During these ‘connecting times’, you are able to oil the door hinges, check for water damage to your roof and cracks in the foundation. You are able to deal with the maintenance that is needed to hold everything together and keep your relationships from falling apart.