We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break.

In this metaphor of “chains” that may slacken but do not snap, Sévigné expresses the durability of family bonds even when affection cools, distance intervenes, or conflict arises. The image suggests that kinship is not merely a chosen attachment but a lasting tie that continues to exert moral and emotional pull. The line can be read both consolingly (family connection endures through separation) and ruefully (one cannot fully escape the obligations and entanglements of blood). In a broader sense, it reflects an early modern understanding of lineage and duty: relationships of kin are elastic, but they remain binding across time and circumstance.