Wiping the slate clean

While making my usual weekly store visit at Pondok Indah Mall today, I had a sudden craving for Yogen Fruz crepes. I ordered a choco banana cheese crepe (without thinking of the calories involved) and watched the lady as she prepped all that’s necessary to whip up my order.

Crepes are made on a hot plate of black steel. First she dropped just a ladle-full of liquid-y dough, and slowly moved a little broom-like stick on top of it in circular movements, making it cover the surface of the entire round steel plate. She was supposed to wait a few moments before she could put the toppings on it. But the crepe cracked. She tried to mend it, but instead the crack grew bigger and it suddenly ripped. Finally, she had to tear the crepe away from the steel plate and started the same process again. But before she put the dough on it, she wiped the remaining dough – all crispy and burnt – with a wet cloth, leaving the steel plate in the right temperature to start again.

Seeing this had me begin to think about new relationships and old broken hearts.

When in a relationship, we feel as though our whole lives revolve around that one person who we deeply adore. We show our love by clinging on, holding on tightly and never letting go. We cover ourselves with that one person. Time passes and the relationship gets hotter. But when it cracks, and there was no way to salvage the remains of the relationship, we end up with nothing but a crispy, burnt, and broken heart.

I wish that getting over a failed relationship is as easy as removing the dough remains with a wet cloth. Wiping the slate clean is easier said than done. The memories that we have of the pain, and the foolishness that we’ve had to deal with in the past have kept us from moving on. Even when we do, sometimes we may find ourselves lost in fear and confusion. We may find ourselves swirling around in a never-ending whirlpool of negative thoughts. It takes more than a wet cloth to remove all the memories of the person who used to make you feel safe and loved. It takes a little more “oomph” to tear the pieces of those who used to cover your life, away from you.

But don’t allow yourself to be stuck in the past. It’s time to wipe the slate clean. Prep your heart for a new relationship. Let is start on a smooth clean surface. Reach out for what you believe in. Be fair. Trust in the person you love and have faith in them enough to know that they wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. Maybe time will heal, and maybe love will prevail. Or maybe it won’t. But muster up enough courage simply to take that risk.

And as alike as it maybe in theory, wiping away pain from your hearts is not as easy as removing crepe dough remains. After all, our hearts are not made of steel.