Have you ever thought about how some things in our lives are a little like the screen guard on our phones?
Yes, the same phone that is sometimes more precious to us than our own lives. Imagine trusting something as small as a screen guard to protect its screen! But honestly, it serves a purpose. It protects our devices from little scratches, occasional bumps and everyday wear and tear. And for the most part, we don’t give it much thought.
Until something happens.
You’re rushing through another ordinary day, managing the everyday hustle. School drop-offs, work calls, lunches and dinners, the shopping list, things around the house, and perhaps a meeting squeezed in between everything else.
And then, it happens.
The phone slips out of your hand. Instantly, a moment of panic engulfs you. You pick it up and turn it over, wondering and desperately hoping that the screen has survived. And then you see it. A crack. A scratch.
Sometimes, the screen guard takes the hit, and we’re relieved that the actual screen is fine.
But a screen guard can’t protect the phone from everything. Drop it in water, and well, that’s an entirely different story.
And when the guard is too damaged, too scratched, or has started peeling at the edges after serving its purpose for long enough, we replace it. Eventually.
I say eventually because let’s be honest, getting a screen guard replaced is a task in itself. You have to find a shop, make time for it, and then watch someone carefully stick it on while you silently pray there won’t be any bubbles.
And yet, we do it. Because we know it needs replacing.
When Something Has Served Its Purpose
I wonder why we find it so much harder to recognise that in other areas of our lives.
Sometimes, people come into our lives for a reason. There are situations that break us, shape us, and teach us things along the way. Some people and experiences help us feel protected in ways we didn’t realise, while others help us get through phases we couldn’t have navigated alone.
And sometimes, their role changes.
What once felt comforting starts feeling restrictive. What once protected us begins to hold us back. And what worked beautifully in one phase of our lives may not be what we need in the next.
Recognising that doesn’t necessarily mean someone was bad for us, or that everything we shared was a mistake. Maybe something served its purpose, and that purpose has changed. Maybe it’s time for something else.
Knowing What to Hold On To
Of course, knowing this and actually doing something about it are two very different things. We get attached. We get comfortable. We worry about what comes next. Sometimes, it’s easier to live with the cracks than to deal with the inconvenience of replacing what’s broken.
But maybe the point isn’t to keep replacing everything that gets damaged. Some things can be repaired. Some relationships deserve another conversation. And some things simply need to be left behind.
The trick, perhaps, is knowing the difference. Understanding what deserves our attention, what calls for a response, and what we simply need to observe without feeling compelled to do anything about it.
And occasionally, accepting that not everything — or everyone — can protect us from everything.
Maybe it’s okay to acknowledge what something once did for us, appreciate it for that, and still make room for something different.
Even if it means making a little trip to the shop.
Even if we’re not entirely sure what the new one will look like.
