Adieu

I've met so many people in my 25 years.  Literally, thousands of people.  It amazes me the people that come in and out of your life.  Acquaintances, friends, lovers, enemies, teachers, coworkers, and the list goes on.  Think of how many people you pass on a daily basis.  They all have their own stories to tell.  They all have something to teach you, if you only open yourself to receiving that lesson.

Goodbyes aren't easy.  In any aspect of life.  Like I said, I've met a lot of people. I've also said a lot of goodbyes.  Two souls that touched my life left this earth the past few weeks.  Alvin Bridges and Aunt Ruby.  Alvin worked hard and did everything he could for his loved ones.  He lived a long life.  Aunt Ruby was a beautiful human being. She was kind, loving, and peaceful.  She never complained.  Even when she had breast cancer, and then lymphoma.  She just kept on loving.  I'll never forget the lessons I learned spending time with her and the other great aunts and uncles in small town Gantt, Alabama as a little girl.  Making preserves, helping sew quilt squares and watching the old show Dallas until all hours.

Although it is the only completely final goodbye, death is not the only farewell that we deal with.  We've all seen relationships end.  In this past year I've had multiple relationships end... someone moved across country, someone chose to stop being a friend completely and removed themselves from the equation, someone decided I wasn't worth the time, and there are other relationships that I had a hand in ending myself.  People come and go, but what is it that you as an individual take from the situation?  Did you learn what you could from the other soul that just so happened to be apart of this crazy thing we call life?  Did you show them kindness and goodness?

Today was a day to say farewell for a little while.  We'll see each other again, this is certain.  I read this quote the other day and couldn't agree more, "No lapse of time or distance


of place can lessen the friendship of those who are 


truly persuaded of each other's worth." 


It's true.  The relationships in your life that are real hold this truth.  Some of my best friends on this earth live thousands of miles from me, but when we get to hang it is like nothing ever changed between us.  The future is unknown, and that is the  scary and exciting part about it.  I don't know what will happen over the next few months, but I sure do have something to look forward to in the future.

Live. Be genuine and honest.  Don't be afraid to love.  Learn what you can and enjoy the moment.  This life only happens once.  Simply live.