Song of the day:
Today I’m thankful for old friends. Those I’m still in touch with and those who are no longer part of my life. I don’t regret the friendships that have come and gone. I have the memories - both good and bad - and I know that the impact they had on my life is everlasting. But gosh, isn’t it amazing to still have friends from grade school or junior and high school?? Yeah, I’ve still got a few of those. I’ve got a handful from college and grad school, too, and several that I met in the first few years after grad school. Some of them know all my stories, and there is a lot of power in that; to know that I could call that person out of the blue and start talking about something that happened over 20 years ago and have them be right there with me is something special. These are the friends where we can say one or two words and will both immediately start laughing. And whatever we’re laughing about probably happened over 20 years ago.
Making new friends as I get older is hard, but not impossible. They just look a little different than those 20- or 30-year friendships, ya know? They’re usually formed around work or some kind of hobby (e.g. meeting people in line at concerts - y’all know who you are!), and so there is a lot in common immediately, but they may never hear all the stories. I think of these as forward facing friendships while the others are both forward and backward facing. I treasure these newer friendships just as much as the older ones, and am thankful for how our paths crossed at just the right time to make the connection.
So, here’s to the old friends and the new ones I’ve met along the way. I am so very thankful and truly blessed to know each and every one of you.
Video of the day: