It's time...

I woke up last Sunday morning, looked into the mirror and cursed the skin around my eyes - for the millionth time - for being so sensitive to tears. As I started working on the puffy redness, I felt a strange sort of calmness... it was done. The final goodbye's had been said, and Meg's plane had landed safely in their new home clear across the country.

It's been The Summer of Tearful Goodbye's for me. My Grandmother passed away; my entire family, spread through three visits, ended their visits in tears, and three of my dearest, dearest girl friends moved their entire families across the country to Washington, Utah, and San Diego.

There was no way I was going to get my eyes looking normal for church, so I decided to carry the red puffiness with a thankful heart that day...thankful that I had such dear people in my life whose absence could create such sorrow.

You have heard about my grandma, and you will hear about my family visits, but as for my friends... I believe there's a certain kind of bond that is formed among people when they go through life experiences together. A bond of understanding; a bond of love; a bond that somehow surpasses 'friend'ship and almost reaches 'soul'ship. When I first moved to North Carolina, our little family had just started to grow. We were young and vulnerable and still experimenting with who we were as parents and as a family unit. Over the past few years, we have become more grounded; we have made solid foundations and decisions that have started moving our family in a sure direction...and we have done it alongside some of the greatest people in the world. We have shared our ideas, our goals, our advice... Best friends, moving forward together, growing together as small tree trunks, becoming one with time.

It's no wonder that my heart hurts right now. When such a dear friend moves away, the raw edges of the separation are painful. I've learned so many things about friendship and service from these friends - and it's hard to know that I don't have their examples close to me anymore.

But, who is it that said, "It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." And how blessed I feel that I live in a day when a few thousand miles can't stop communication.

Cami, Brooke and Meg - you all deserve your own posts...yet my blogging efficiency has somehow become quite low... please know how much I love you, and how much I miss you. It's just not quite the same around here anymore...