I'm not sure if this is similar to Florence Nightingale syndrome or just the opposite. But for some of us, we might develop certain feelings for familiar strangers. Not necessarily romantic feelings, but because we appreciate what they do for us, or we find that they make our lives better, we tend to forget it's just temporary. And often purely business.

Someone like the barista who makes your favorite coffee every morning and draws emojis on your cup, the nanny who cares for your child and treats him so nicely, the substitute teacher who makes funny jokes and talks to you like a friend, or the cleaning lady who makes your house spotless every week, all of them are temporary faces. Phases in life's journey. It's not personal to them, but it could become personal to you at some point.

Gratitude. We get too attached to people we are grateful for. Or feel we owe them more than we should. Sometimes we feel those people treat us special or that it's not just a professional relationship. We believe this familiar bond goes both ways and beyond the normal expectations.

When we grow emotional attachment to those people, it takes a toll on our well-being when they leave. And inevitably they do. Because that's life. People shift jobs, workplaces, employers, they move away to other places, even other countries and they have their own life's journeys. They're not going to stay around for your sake if they have a chance for a better life.  Especially when they have higher ambitions.

It's even worse when you're dealing with them based on your feelings and you suddenly realize the feelings are not mutual. And guess what? They shouldn't be. Most of the time, it's only in your head.

My advice? Don't get too attached to temporary people. Appreciation and gratitude are great. But don't have high expectations.

MB