Once upon a Time...

Have you ever stopped to think how sad that phrase can actually be?

Once upon a time....

That phrase recalls something that once was, but is no more. Usually what once was, was a happy thing, but the once upon a time denotes that the time is past. It can actually hurt to think about those 'once upon a times'. They may have been happy times at the moment, but sometimes the sheer fact that they are no more makes the memory of them painful. Or, perhaps, the way they ended or the reason for their ending is where the pain stems from.

Everyone has 'once upon a times.' Happy ones, sad ones, funny ones, serious ones, and just whatever ones. But those times are fixed in place, and somehow, sometime, you move past them. I have 'once upon a times' that I am so glad are over with and in the past. But they still once were, and so I can never fully leave them behind. Those 'once upon a times' still haunt me now and then. I also have 'once upon a times' that are memories I treasure. Good days from my childhood, simple things that bring a smile to my face. There's a touch of sadness that the days are gone, but they ultimately bring a bit of light into my day. Maybe the worst 'once upon a times' are those times that you thought were great. Times you treasured, and hoped to remember your whole life. A time when everything seemed to be working out, things fit together, and you were happy. Perhaps even a time that you thought wouldn't end. But what keeps those memories from being happy 'once upon a times' is the reason for their ending. Something bad happened, something good was taken away, things fell apart, or somehow you were hurt. Those are the painful 'once upon a times'.