June 8, 2017
As we grow it feels like we fall away into our own melodious discord. Life comes full speed into our view and we get blinded to the paths that all others take, blinded by the seeming brightness of our own path. They always seem to cross again in either a place of sadness or by some strange coincidence. We get little interjections from our familiar past. Little interactions from old friends, or family that have fallen away into their own “grown-up” lives. But no matter the distance that we travel down our own paths, no matter what those paths bring into our view around their next turn, when we see these long lost friends on our own journey, it’s like stopping at a little diner on the side of the path and enjoying simple moments with familiar friends. Sometimes we just pick up where we left off, remembering the great and bad times we had together and sometimes we wander together into a possible future of doing more together again. Sometimes we just sit in silence across from these friends and enjoy their bright presence in our life, even if it is only a momentary stop along our way. The ones that mattered the most, still matter but their paths only cross ours for fleeting moments, reminding us that the past, present and future can still hold wonderful surprises… even when those surprises are just a visit from an old friend. I read a small quote years ago and have tried hard to live by it:
Never part without loving words, for we know not
when we will meet again in life.
While I don’t remember who wrote it, it struck a chord deep within me and made me think about what I do and say before I ever leave the presence of a friend or family member. And so, I do my best to make sure that all of the people I encounter along my path feel love emanating from me, both when we meet and when we part. Enjoy your path, nobody has the same one as you!
–Christian Sanders
Mental Paradigms 