Just finished cleaning up from a ripping good housewarming party yesterday. Well, okay “ripping” might have described some wild parties when we were a wee bit younger. We have mellowed out somewhat. Our definition of an awesome party isn’t just loud music, strangers arriving off the street, and people dancing on the coffee table. But yesterday was fantastic nonetheless.
I think now a great party is seeing people that we love and who have history with us. We have great conversation about life, the future, sometimes politics, religion, money, and or course, sex. All the taboo topics. Feelings are never hurt and we feel like we’ve solved the world’s problems when everyone leaves at midnight. Yeah, rarely goes longer than that anymore!
What was cool about last night is seeing several people who’ve been absent in my life for years. Past great friends. Deep connections. History. They appeared almost from nowhere. Unexpected. Yet, there wasn’t an empty awkward feeling. Just joy.
These great friends of the past came back into my life, even if just for a day. You catch up on the last 3 years in 5 minutes and feel somehow complete. I think that’s because real friends never leave. You’re still somehow connected. It’s kind of weird really. Since I know them so well, they just have to give a brief rundown of basic events and I know exactly what each milestone meant to them. No explanation needed. Cool.
While I was having a reunion with blasts from the past, I got a phone call from another friend who was told me recently that he’ll be moving his family to Georgia in a few weeks. He’s a great friend. A good man. We’ve been through a lot. Good history. And yet, his news of the move didn’t shake me.
I’m excited about his new opportunity. Maybe I should be sad for the lack of proximity. But I’m not. Because friends never leave. It may be a year or two or three before we connect face to face again (of course, there’s phone, Facebook, and email). But when we do, we’ll catch up in 5 minutes and then move on to the future.
So many people get hung up on “losing” friends and family by moving or leaving. But good relationships are never lost. One of my best friends lives in Seattle. Has since I left there a decade ago. We talk every week. Distance doesn’t destroy great relationships. Just changes the dynamics.
Leaving is nothing to be scared of. Fear just makes you miss out on opportunity. Spend all the time looking at the past and we’ll miss out on the opportunities of the future.
Somewhat of a sentimental post here today. I guess being around great friends with good memories does that me.
