She was standing by the window again, staring intently at the dress inside the shop. Today, the dress seemed to shine even more brightly than before. She didn’t avoid looking at it this time because she was finally ready to buy it. She had all the confidence and the money she needed in her purse. She opened the door and entered the shop with the regal demeanor of an emperor ready to claim her crown.
The salesgirl, noticing her, took the dress off the mannequin and folded it. She proceeded directly to the counter. However, the salesgirl handed the dress to a lady standing at the other end of the shop. They exchanged smiles, and the lady left with the dress.
The dress was already sold, and its price had been paid before she even entered the shop. The money she had been saving for the past eight months was now useless to her. She sighed deeply, letting go of the happiness she had felt while dreaming of buying that dress.
She turned and left the shop.
This is how life treats you. When you desire something or someone, you often lack the means to attain it. You work hard, invest your precious time, and make all the necessary arrangements. But just when you are finally able to achieve it, the person or thing is no longer available, or you realize that you no longer desire them. Perhaps you’ve outgrown the ideal you once had, or your choices and requirements have changed as you’ve matured. This is the cycle of life: when we need something or someone, we don’t have it; and when we finally have it, we no longer need it.