Friends throughout our lives

I was just over at Facebook, a large personal addiction of mine, and a friend wrote a poem that touched my heart. The context of the poem is that this girl just graduated from college, got married, and moved to a new part of the country all within a few years. It's that jumping off point that so many of us take time and time again. And in taking this leap of faith into something new and unknown, we are often separated from the people we've come so close to. Let's face it, when you move on to something new in your life, it's extremely difficult to hang on to the people of our past.

This person could have been your roommate from college that now lives on the opposite coast. It could be an old boyfriend who is now married to another friend of yours that you're just so ecstatic to see together. It may be the teacher that helped you reach that next level of greatness that you never knew you could reach. It may even be someone you never liked in the past, but now are finding a new found appreciation for the person they have become. It could be a thousand different people who now you don't really feel like you know anymore and it's easy to forget what an impact they made on who you are now.

My life has been blessed with many new faces and new beginnings. I can't say that I grew up in any one place. It happened for me all over the country. And through my life, I've met so many people that are still on my heart even if they're digits aren't in my cell phone. They helped me find my passion. They led me to the love of my life. They prepared me for the hurt I've had to endure recently and they've instilled me with a hope that the future will be blessed and bright.

I think that's why I love things like Facebook. It has allowed me to reconnect with hundreds of these people from my past that I otherwise might hear a rumor of through the grapevine but never actually confront again. I am thankful for them whether they know it or not. I'm thankful.