It often starts with a simple hello. It’s a thing that you truly treasure when you have nothing else in this life. It provides you comfort and, at times, helps you remind you who you truly are as a person. Bonds. Throughout the years of your life, you come across various individuals that inhabit the same world you do. Some of them may be similar to you, others may be completely different, and you might even find some that are the exact opposite of you. Despite any differences that may exist between you and these individuals, it’s the common interests and similarities that bind you together as a relationship forms. Familial bonds are the easiest to understand as they are the source of your being. Parents: individuals from whom you gain a portion of in order to become who you are. Perhaps specific genetic traits that run within the family line or even personality quirks that are often associated with them. But it’s not always the biological components, it’s the knowledge and impression that’s inserted into you that also makes up the structure of the bond between child and parent. Siblings also carry a certain bond that only siblings can have and understand. They provide competition, support, as well as a nurturing spirit from the oldest to youngest. Despite any differences that they may have and through even the most troubling of circumstances, at the end of the day it’s the bond they share that keeps siblings together. The bonds that you make with friends are perhaps the most complex as they can be difficult to discern and can even vary with a wide range. It usually begins with a discovering a person you are comfortable with to begin to simple friendship. Depending on the time and substance that’s placed into the friendship, the bond can be defined to certain degree. The most significant bonds within a friendship are the ones that have taken years to build. The ones that allow a friend to understand the other friend and not only acknowledge who that friend is but also accept and approve it. Beyond a bond of friendship is the bond of romance that binds two individuals together to become one. From a friendship that develops into dating relationship, this bond is at its most vulnerable during this stage as it can break as easily as it was formed due to irreconcilable differences and disputes. Once this bond of romance progresses into the bond of marriage, the strength of said bond grows firmer and more resilient as compromise is key to maintaining such commitment. The strongest of bonds are the ones worth fighting for, the ones that truly matter in this world. From the time I started to crawl and walk to the present, I’ve come across many bonds throughout my years. Some I’ve maintained for decades, others I had to let go for both of our sakes. But with this, I’ve come to an understanding of the importance of bonds in this life and as they propel me towards my future, the bonds you gain and experience will propel you towards yours.