I always hate leaving my friends due to the fact that I am at that age when you never know when you will see them again. For the past eleven or so days I have had the privilege of being surrounded by some amazing friends that I have made along the path of life that I have traveled. When I went back to my hometown in Northern New York I was able to reconnect with friends that I have been close with for about seven or eight years. It was my privilege to meet the people that they are going to be marrying and I was able to enjoy being around them. When it came time to leave due to me having to go to my internship last Saturday, I felt that same pain in my chest. It always comes up the day before I have to leave and sits there reminding me that my friends and I will be separated. A couple friends back to Minnesota, a couple back to Missouri, some staying in New York, others only a few hours away but still not close enough to see each other every day. There is no telling when I will see all of these friends again at one time but I am so thankful when we get together. I am a person that would LOVE if we were able to talk every day even if it was just a text but I know that life can get busy. No matter how much I kind of resent it, no matter if my friends and I don't talk in depth for four months, when we see each other it is like we pick up where we left off and catch up and have a fun time doing it.
For the New Year I was able to spend three days with friends in Pittsburgh. Once again I was reminded of how blessed I am to have the friends that I have. Once again when the time came for us to leave that pain in my chest rose up and is currently lodge somewhere between my heart and my throat. I love my friends and the fact that this isn't like high school or even college where you could see your friends daily makes me feel so sad. God has blessed me with some amazing people in my life to learn from, grown from, laugh with, share struggles with, and be completely ridiculous with. And now that it is the beginning of a New Year I am so excited to make amazing memories with my friends. Even though we are all spread out across the United States I hope that each and every one of them knows how important they are to me and how much I treasure their friendship.
To my friends, whether old or new, know that you are important to me and I look forward to the memories we are going to make this year. No matter how far apart we are, know that I am thankful for you.