365 Days Of Love. Day 102

Yesterday, I was driving the (one time familiar) route to my aunt and uncle’s house in Champlin, MN. It’s a five-hour drive for people who don’t drink two bottles of water and 16 oz. of coffee, but it generally takes me a little bit longer per frequent restroom stops. Yesterday, as I drove, I reflected on how many great people I had in my life.

My friends from high school are still the first ones to know who I have a crush on or what I’m thinking about doing with my life. We’ve each evolved into far different people than the little beings we were when we first merged souls, but the years we’ve spent together have kept us continually merged.

After I left high school, I went to 4 different colleges and took a semester off to live in Georgia. Twice this year, I’ve seen friends from the first college I went to. When we’ve seen each other, though, conversation flows and hugs are given freely. We giggle like we did freshman year and to onlookers, I’m certain it seemed as if we were dear dear friends.

Over Easter, I spontaneously road tripped to Georgia with my roommate. I dropped her off at her mom’s house and I ventured to NW Georgia and stayed with my friend’s Becca and TJ. Becca and I met when I was 18 while working at a camp. After their wedding in May 2008, I moved to Georgia and lived with them (and a few others), I moved away six months later and hadn’t seen Becca or TJ since. When I called them to let them know I’d be in their general neighborhood, they immediately offered their house. Again, it was as if time didn’t pass and distance didn’t separate us.

And now, as I type this, I am sitting on a plane in Wisconsin. My aunt and uncle let me stay in their house last night and my uncle woke up at the god-awful hour of 3:30am to take me to the airport for my first flight out of Minneapolis so I could layover in Milwaukee and get to NYC by late morning. In NYC (after independently maneuvering public transportation to take me to NJ) I will be greeted by friends I haven’t seen for over two years.  I’ll be on the East Coast for nearly two weeks and I’m certain time will pass, again, as if I had never left. I have such great friends.

Often, I self-inquiry, “how did I manage to make so many great friends in so many incredible places? How, when I hate talking on the telephone, have I managed to maintain said friendships? Why me, why do I have incredible people in my life, both friends and family, who inspire me to be a strong, independent, me?” Such inquiries never generate an answer; rather, they induce a reaction, humility. I feel as if I could walk out of the door with nothing and I would be taken care of, I’m grateful for the sense of trust and fearlessness that my relationships have cultivated within me. I’m humbled by the numerous people who have invested in my life. I’m lucky, and I understand that. Even more, I’m profoundly humbled by the generosity of people and grateful that the Universe aligned by personal legend with such people.

My experiences, my friends, my family, all the beings in my life have taught me that love is investment and kindness. Love isn’t counting miles or minutes apart, but rather enjoying every moment spent together