This quote touches on the fragile nature of human relationships and the tendency for perceptions to shift dramatically after someone passes away. During a person's life, relationships can be complicated, filled with nuances, unspoken expectations, and varying degrees of authenticity. Many times, people forge connections based on convenience, superficiality, or societal expectations rather than genuine understanding. The quote suggests that while the person is alive, the honesty and depth of these relationships often remain uncertain, with individuals perhaps vying for closeness or recognition. However, once someone is gone, these nuances diminish, and a different picture emerges—one where the person becomes a symbol, or a subject of collective memory and sometimes exaggeration. It highlights how posthumous admiration or grief can sometimes conflate or distort the reality of past relationships, as people might take the opportunity to claim a connection or tribute that was not as significant in life. The phrase 'then it's everybody's party' cynically underscores the common phenomenon of people flocking to the person's memory or legacy once the individual no longer can participate or defend themselves. This reflection prompts deeper questions about authenticity in relationships, the human tendency to construct narratives after the fact, and the societal desire to honor or capitalize on the memory of the departed. Fundamentally, it urges us to consider the importance of genuine bonds established during someone's lifetime, and how the true measure of a relationship is often tested not by appearances or social expectations, but by authenticity, sincerity, and consistency. In the end, perhaps life is about cultivating honesty in our relationships so that when we are gone, we leave behind a legacy rooted in truth rather than perceptions shaped by grief or opportunism.