Seasons

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There are people in our lives that are only there for a season. High school friends. College roommates. Coworkers. People you bonded with over shared experiences like being on the soccer team together or watching executive leaderships’ exponentially terrible decisions. The dumpster truck fire rages on as your friendship grows stronger.  

Some of these people are there just for that season, while others break through. Despite changing companies, graduating, or moving away, you make the effort to maintain those friendships. You call them when you’re in town, you fly to visit, and if you’re a millennial you’re probably sending Instagram memes back and forth all day. Whether it’s friends or family there are people in your life you would drop everything for if they needed you. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, you come running.

I am grateful for people like that in my life, but I’m also grateful for the people that just stayed one season.  When I was younger it used to make me sad when I drifted apart from people. I would think I failed as a friend because I didn’t stay in touch. When enough time had gone by I would reach a point where I wouldn’t reach out at all, even when they crossed my mind, because I was ashamed that I hadn’t  prioritized my relationship with them. Now I understand that we can’t prioritize everyone, and we are not meant to.

We can’t come running for the whole world but we can make strong bonds that inspire and shape us into the people we become. It is the changing of the seasons that makes life interesting and prepares us for what is next, so make the most of every season you are in. Laugh hard and love fiercely even if it’s fleeting. And years later when you chuckle to yourself over an old inside joke… send the text message. Let people know that even though they were in your life for just a moment, it was a moment worth remembering.