Has it really been 16 years?

I had a wonderful email from a friend in high-school, Amanda. We haven't seen each other in years, and haven't really corresponded since graduation.

She's going to kill me when she sees this post, but hey - it's incriminating to ALL of us, not just her. Amanda is the pretty one on the front row with the light colored dress. I'm not telling which one I am.

We've exchanged a few e-mails, catching each other up on all that's happened in our life. I was amazed to hear she had 3 little boys... and I was excited to know all the various details about her life.

It made me wish that I had done better at keeping the friendships up from that era. I have to admit that sometimes I feel jealous when I hear that some people are still best friends with the same person from childhood. Perhaps we're all made a bit differently, and life experiences take us different places where we develop new friends and spend our time maintaining those relationships....

...But I still wish I had not been so selfish and had worked harder at keeping those dear friendships close.

As of late, I've gotten to connect with a few of those friends via facebook. It's been neat to see where we all are 16 years later. And I can really see the grace of God evident in our lives. Well, I guess I'm talking mainly about my own. I shudder to think where I might be without His Grace. I want to let go of the busy-ness of my life. I want to spend more time with my friends (old and new) instead of rushing from one place to the next. After all, isn't it all about relationships in this life? And not all the meetings and to-do-lists that seem to bog us down?

So... Hey friends! Let's get together soon. I'd love to see you.