Reminiscing

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I went to dinner at a family friend's house today. These are people I've known almost all my life and despite changes in our relationship statuses, the birth of children and other changing circumstances, these are people I continue to love deeply. Stepping into the house was like a surreal trip down the rabbit hole; a heady and confusing mix of my youth colliding headlong with my now. Having my children with me reminded me inexorably of the present, but in many ways the evening was like so many I had spent there over the years.

In so many ways I felt like a child still, comforted by the consistency of the house, the food, the people. Perhaps it's an illusion, but it seemed to me that these wonderful people, though older, were still essentially the same as they had always been. They were still the loving, comforting, welcoming people I had always known and loved. And now they were generous enough to extend that warmth to my own family - not the family they had always known, but the one I have created with my husband. How blessed I feel to have them in my life.

I know this is a bit of a departure from my usual thought stream, but it's on my mind at the moment. As I get older, I discover that I have less patience for those who do not add value to my life or the lives of my family. I'm also finding that I truly treasure and cherish those who do make life such a joy. So to them, I say "thank you".