sand castles

I spent the morning rummaging through some of my old stuff that had been shoved in the back of a closet. I came across a small vial of sand tied with a little bow. It was a gift given to me by a girlfriend years ago. It was sand from a place down by the ocean, the first place we made love. That night we had said 'I love you' to each other for the first time. When I met her, I had already had sex with various boys and girls, but that night was the first time I had ever really made love with someone. It was the first time I realized there really was a difference. I smile thinking back to that night, it's still very clear in my mind, it was a really great night. It was a really great experience. It's been years, she's doing well, I'm doing well... but since we parted ways I have not felt feelings like that for anyone I've encountered, or even come close. I wonder if I'll ever fall in love again. For the first time in my life I felt old. It was a fleeting feeling and went away quickly, but I recognized it, I know what it was... I wonder if I'll ever fall in love like that again before my time runs out. Whether I do or don't, I was lucky to have experienced it once, some people never get to... so I'm happy that my life experiences include faling in love and making love. I'll keep trying to build sand castles and as for the little vial, it will get packed away again so that some day down the road I can find it and smile about my memories.