Friendship Bridges Built Across Time

People come and go in our lives. Okay, I hear ya. Yes, that's obvious. My point is, how some folks you just connect with, where others you don't. However, each person has an impact on our lives.

The experiences I had with each one, some formed my opinions and ways I interact with people today. Is it the same with you? Think back to your first friend. Was it a neighbor someone you played with after school each day? Or perhaps a classmate that saved a seat for you at the lunch table. Was it a bully, or a well intentioned classmate that hurt you? Each one had a purpose and was in my life for a reason, as I was in theirs for a reason. Just as you were for someone else.

Some of these people I just knew would always be in my life, but they aren't anymore. Thanks to social networks like facebook, and myspace several of these broken ties are connected once more. Time and circumstances have changed us, but our friendship is still there. We are living life, but still connected to past moments in time. This year Sweetie and I are making plans to attend our 20 year highschool reunion. Man, its something to say that but to type it just makes it more real. 20 years! When did that happen?

Somehow our generation was determined, as I'm sure that others before us felt, that would live our lives differently and change the world. The world has changed. I'm sure there are tangible connections and impacts our class has made for the better to improve our lives and that of mankind. We all hope to leave the world a better place than we found it. How many of your dreams and goals did you accomplish? Embrace the victories, try hard to let go of the disappointments.

Moves from state to state, death, divorces, marriages, children, life.. it happens. We spend our lives attached to duties, jobs, commitments. Schedules define our time. We move from event to event until we look up and our children are grown, we are living our parents lives, or some variation of it. Suddenly, it's been 15 years, or 20,30, 40. Where did the time go?

Spending time with some new friends last night, we talked about how much we have each changed over the years. Things that were so important to us at one time have faded and we have moved on to others. Our priorities are as varied as we are. Time moves on, things change. New people come into our lives through work, church, school, community.

We have friends in our lives that are older,same age, and younger. The older ones,
have much to share with us, if we will just listen. Experience, and example is what gift they bring to the table. Same age group? They give us the gift of understanding, we all grew up listening to the same groups, have the same memories, share the same struggles. The younger group? They keep things fresh. Yes, we are constantly reminded of how old we are by them, but the ideas and energy they bring to the friendship is just refreshing!

If possible, take time to be "old school" and write a note to your friends. What a wonderful suprise to get a greeting from a friend instead of advertisments and junk mail! If they are close by, set up a lunch date. The gift of friendship given to each other is priceless! Don't waste it! Reconnect on a more personal level. You will be better for it, and so will they!

Goals

Sweetie and I are on a diet. Bad time of year you say? Nah! We are just implementing new habits. Starting something new is usually easier than following through. Our pastor touched on this yesterday in his sermon. He took it down the road of becoming spiritually mature, digging into God's word and prayer life. It takes dedication to carve out the time in one's day for such things. Discipline for our spiritual health in other words.
We are also working on our physical health. Dieting is easier to do if you don't have children in your household. The kids have the snacks..man do they have fun stuff to eat. But unfortunately as our bodies age, we can't partake in such anymore, or if we do.. suffer the consequences.
We have both put on a little weight over the last few years. Something had to change. It is easy to explain away, but one does have to look in the mirror. Neither of us dared say anything to the other about how we were slacking in our taking care of ourselves. But we both had mentioned to the other about how we would NOT go up in size of our clothing. Not gonna happen. We have our 20 year class reunion next year and we don't want to look like it!
When EIRO came out with a healthy diet, that doesn't increase heart rate or starve a person, we jumped all over it. Now we both exercise average 45 minutes a day. We walk, and we eat more fruits and vegetables and less of the starches.
Our committment to this diet means two meal replacement shakes a day and one sit down meal. We can have snacks in between. We are learning to not eat late at night, and if and when we snack to eat healthy. We do this six days a week, then on the seventh, we just eat three regular meals.

So far Sweetie has lost 15 pounds and I float between 9 and 10 pounds gone. Totally not fair how much faster a man can loose weight than a female. (that is a blog all in itself!)

Must go.. gotta jog. Sasha puppy is on an exercise regiment with me! ha!