Saying Goodbye

You know that sense of loss? --It's not quite a death, but it feels similar.

We said goodbye to some friends yesterday whom I'm really going to miss. They're moving out west for a wonderful job, and while I'm so happy for them, I'm really sad for me.

That sounds selfish, right?

My husband and I have moved way too many times--like once a year for first 13 years worth of marriage. Granted, there were stints where we lived in the same place for 3 or more years, but it was always easy to move: the excitement of a new adventure, the thrill of the next place...

Until we moved to Florida. We stayed in the same house for three years, and so many of our good friends (the kind who may as well be family) moved away and left us behind.

Ouch.

The first one, we survived. We even recovered okay.

The second one hurt more.

That's it, I'm done.The third time was like opening an old wound with a cheese grater.

The fourth time I held my bleeding heart, hugged my husband, and confessed I didn't think I could do it again. I was done making CLOSE friends just to lose them.

I once heard a wise man say, pain is a symptom of healing. If you're aching, you are growing. You're making progress toward recovery. It's when you stop feeling that you should be concerned.

That's comforting to me. Whether it's a separation from loved ones, or the aches of physical discomfort, experiencing pain means you are living to your fullest. The worst thing we can do is stop living, stop investing, stop trying.

We've since purchased a house and anticipate being quite stable, but saying goodbye to my friends was a reminder of how much I have and haven't opened my heart after these experiences. My wounds are still raw, but I'm trying.

It's times like this I'm especially grateful for this amazing network of global friends. No matter how far we live from one another, we're just a mouse click away. I love you peoples!

What are you especially grateful for today? Have you had a similar experience?