One 7 Letter Word

Before rising from bed this morning, there were teary eyes with this sense of loss. It was not a loss by death but by separation. I was struck with thoughts of friends I've met in my lifetime, whom to most I have had to sadly say goodbye with little hope of seeing them again. I know that I am not alone, but there is a word that has followed me for a lifetime, and there are times I wish it would cease. I remember friends from early childhood that I grew up with. All of us were separated after high school and have remained so. None of my childhood friends nor high school class mates has become life-long friends. I do not know if such is abnormal, but the older I become, the more it seems to 'get next to me'. This 'cycle of the circle being broken' is the story of my life. But I'm good, and I get by with lots of help from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Life forces us to 'come to terms with 'matter of fact' realities. All along the way, a whole new 'world of friendships' develops. If our lives have been ones of mobility, that world becomes vast. New languages and dialects, new challenges, characters, cultures, and ethnicities, new time zones, climates, and weather systems. If we are willing to grow, the tears of goodbyes will dry, and a new world of fresh friendships will unfold like colorful flower gardens. 'Goodbye', that dreaded 7-letter word will forever be a precious memory, but it will slowly fade like a passing season, making time and space for a new one. 030222PS