There’s an episode of Joan of Arcadia, in which Joan breaks up with her boyfriend and she’s left to understand why it fell apart. God informs her to “only connect.” For years I wondered what that meant. Even as I’m writing this, I’m not sure what the writers of Joan of Arcadia were intending.

But I have imagined that our time on earth is just a bus ride, and the people whom we meet in our lives are just riding ’til their stop comes. Every deep conversation, fall-out, make-up, anything else we go through with them, will be temporary. And yes, we should enjoy the heck out of them while they’re here. But also, their permanence (or lack thereof) does not mean that they lack importance. Even the slightest connection can spur a series of other connections. The connections we make can last past our lifetimes and perhaps even the span of those relationships. Memories help to make this happen.

Only connect: hold on to the moment until it’s over. Let go.