People fall out of love every day. And this fallout is not just confined to relationships and people. You can fall out of love with jobs or places and even ideas. Falling out of love is one day waking up and realizing that the spark you once felt for someone or something has finally given out, and you are left in the dark.

This realization of darkness is not always prominent and fast-coming. Often, the flame will flicker and waver for a long time before you actually realize it is about to die. This is where feelings of regret can come into play. We may feel that if we really saw that the light was about to give out, we might have had enough time to catch it, to save it, to reignite our passion that we had been so dutifully ignoring while it wavered right in front of us. Yes, it is true that we are sometimes able to reignite our flames of love we once had. Yet sometimes that spark will refuse to catch.

Feeling the absence of this love we once knew is not always immediately apparent. This is because not all love is like a blazing fire. Some loves are more quiet and reserved, like that of smoldering embers. The kind of warmth that brings a gentle glow to your life. It is these loves that may take you a while to notice when they have burned out. It may not be until you start going through old photos or recall a fond memory when you finally realize that your heart no longer tugs in quite the same way. That your body no longer basks in the glow of the heat. It is then that you feel cold.

And it is then that you have to decide where you want to go from there. Do you wish to continue to live in the darkness? Or do you want to light your flame someplace else? Perhaps spread your light somewhere else, with someone new. Falling out of love can be deeply frenzied, springing out of nowhere and hitting you hard in the face. Or it can happen slowly, passion slowly fading into the background, drifting out of sight, but that does not make it any less difficult. Whether it was your choice to move on from this love, or it was ripped from your grasp, your fate is completely up to you when deciding how you want to carry on with your life. Personally, no love is ever a waste. There is always something to be gained when deciding to put your love in something or someone else, whether it be a lesson or simply a happy memory you can look back on down the road.

So love. Love with all your heart. And don't let one charred match, one ashy coal, one burnt out fire stop you from getting back up and sparking a new flame.