Life is full of all different kinds of relationships that come and go in different ways at different times. While it’s often chaotic and complex, it’s also something that can be condensed into some basic patterns.
That is what cartoonist and writer Olivia de Recat has done in a recently viral illustration she posted on Instagram, that’s garnered just under 70k likes so far.
The sketch maps out the timelines of different kind of relationships you’re likely to experience using two lines. It’s delightfully simple and accurate in a way that might cut pretty deep.
She’s captioned the post, “Closeness lines over time”, and it covers everything from childhood best friends to parents, one night stands, therapists, and various relationships in between.
But the most confronting timeline in the sketch is the one depicting your relationship with your dog.
Essentially, your dog’s entire timeline is simply matched with yours, because their life is just about you. They’re the ones you can always count on to be there. They’re lifeline is really just there supporting yours.
Except of course, their line is a mere fraction of your own lifeline. And that is the story of how this illustration has made me cry. We don’t deserve dogs but thank god we have them.