Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Connections

 
 
"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever."  
   ~~Francois Mauriac  (Nobel prize in literature, 1954)

 

I got caught up on some correspondence today. Not completely, but I got a letter out to my mother-in-law, and sent a long email to my friend Mike in Indianapolis, getting caught up.

It's been well over ten years since I lived there or saw Mike, but every year, without fail, he sends me a birthday card. We used to have long discussions about politics and the Civil War, and Mike is also a magician, so he used to pull quarters--and sometimes lab specimens--out of my ears. It made me laugh every time!

I still get Christmas cards every year from people I worked with in North Dakota, and it's been almost 20 years since I lived there.

On the rare occasions that I see my college friends, it's like we've never been apart.

While we may not remain in constant touch, it makes me feel good to know that there are still people from my past who think of me fondly (and vice versa) and want to keep in touch with me. I'm sure not everyone in my past would be thrilled to see me (I saw an ex a while back at a party...he left the party immediately. Kind of interesting to have that much power over an ex after several years!), but I'm happy to say that I think the vast majority would say, "Beth! It's great to see you!"

I feel that, for the most part, I haven't burned any major bridges in my life, and whenever  I've left a place in order to go on to the next, I've usually left on a good note.

The people that have passed through my life, as the above quote says, have left some mark on it forever--a few bad, but mostly good. I hope that the mark I have left on their lives has also been mostly good, and I'm happy to know that although my contact with some of these folks is sporadic, our connection continues.

 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had a conversation yesterday with a friend of 20+ yrs about how we seem to live more than one life.....meaning that 20 yrs ago we had a completely different set of friends and then you move on and meet more people and sometimes out of nowhere you'll see a friend from years past and it brings all the memories back. Interesting. XO

Anonymous said...

Who did the cool photo?  (And that should be Francois Mauriac)

Anonymous said...

... a thoughtful, revealing entry to not only the person you are, but to me, the person OTHERS think you are ...

Anonymous said...

I love the picture in your entry.  It's nice you have such good friends.  I've lived in the same town all my life and it amazes me how little I see of old friends.  I've a few that have been apart of my life for almost 30 years so I guess that is a good thing.  'On Ya' - ma

Anonymous said...

You are lucky to have those type of relationships!  Love the pic...what a statement!
xoxo ~Myra

Anonymous said...

Friendships are important, and the fact that we have been able to establish some new, and old ones, together is AWESOME!

Anonymous said...

I so much agree with that Beth. I to have many friends that I hear from perhpas only once a year at Christmas or birthdays but they are still friends and I know that if I were to meet up in the street...oh what joy that would be....we would start chatting as if we had seen each other yesterday..thats what TRUE friendship is all about.  Can I please ask that you keep my niece Beth in your prayers next few days as she cycles to Paris from London set off at 6.30am this morning for first 88 miles !!      Love for now  Sybil xx

http://journals.aol.co.uk/sybilsybil45/villagelife/

Anonymous said...

Better to have a few good friends than
a multitude of acquaintances.  Distance
and time do not matter among friends.

Anonymous said...

very good entry. and so true. that must have been a good feeling to know that your ex could not stay there  happily once he saw you. not many people get that satisfaction .i saw my ex in walmart yesterday. i was getting a perscription filled. All i could think of my hair is a mess i have a bandaid on my arm from having blood drawn i wish i had worn a prettier dress. he probably thinks i am sick or dying... finally... seeing me waiting on my medicine. lol i am sure you get the message.
i think that no matter how the friendship ends   in some way,it was still worth it that the friendship ever was.

Anonymous said...

I just love the fact that your entries can always bring a smile to my face or a good out loud chuckle..."lab specimens out of my ears!" that is just too funny.  It sounds like you've done it right when you've parted ways.  Most of the employees who have left our business burnt their bridges and ruined what was at one time a good friendship, sad.
Lisa

Anonymous said...

I have such good relations with a few ex bfs that other people often ask if we are getting back together. No, we just had lots of reasons to be really into each other before ;0, & still get along, just not Partner get along. I learned the mutual respect thing early on, & stuck with that, in all sorts of relationships. ~Mary

Anonymous said...

First love the picture with this entry. Second, it wasn't on any part of my doing...but so many old friends stopped contact. Quite a lot of it had to do with my deafness (not to place blame entirely on them, I was cutting people out of my life left and right). I tried to tell myself they didn't know what to say or how to react...then I realized I was simply making excuses for bad behavior. I read something a few months ago that still stays with me, "Friends are there for you, even when It's not convenient"...

Those are the kinds of friendships, I hope to say I have now. You and Ken are two of those 'keep them close to your heart friends' .  (Hugs)Indigo