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THE NARRATIVE ARC

On the Incomplete Happiness of Being an Adult

Surviving a year of grief and losses

John Pucay
The Narrative Arc
Published in
6 min readDec 13, 2024

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I have a habit of browsing through my phone’s gallery, where the photos remind me of what I’ve done each month throughout the year, and I journal to reflect and be grateful.

Last year was especially eventful. I only managed to journal until June before getting distracted. Before I knew it, I’d forgotten to write the rest of the year, and now 2024 is coming to an end.

This year… well, this year has been filled with heavy losses.

My long-term partner ended our relationship, my other partner (we’re polyamorous) moved to a different city for her new job, an aunt I’m quite close to passed away from breast cancer, and I got laid off.

Recently, I ordered a takeout dinner. I haven’t ordered food for some time to minimize my expenses, and I figured my productive day of writing articles deserved a little personal celebration. The sweet & sour fish and dumplings arrived and I felt a sense of bliss at the sight of my tiny feast. But just as I was about to eat, I felt the absence: if both my partners hadn’t left (one for a different city, the other for a different life), I likely would have invited them both to eat with me. We would have dinner together and finish…

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The Narrative Arc
The Narrative Arc

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