a friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature

Coming out of my college years, I have said hello and good-bye to dozens of friends who come and go as they get married, get jobs, or get a life and move away. Some leave and become “Christmas Card Friends: I want to know what is going on with you and keep up with your life, but once a year is pretty much good enough.” Some leave and become vague memories. But some, the select few, leave and life is never the same without them because so much of me was tied up in us, and when they leave I have to rediscover who me is again. Luckily some of those good friends live close enough that I still get to see them occasionally.

I met such a friend for breakfast this morning. An entire summer of my life is filled entirely with memories of her, and without our shared memories I would lose an entire year of me. For me it will always be the summer of text messages, GP, being distracted at check-ins, theater nights, red robin, game nights, the basketball game, counselors, banquets, and the swinger. And reconnecting with this friend was like going home, in the nostalgic way you can always return to a place that means comfort and laughter and family.

“I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” Charles R. Swindoll