A Profound Understanding...

A friend told me some time ago, "Some people come into your life for a season. Other people come into your life for a lifetime." I've thought a lot about that this week. I suppose mostly as a mechanism to deal with what's going on in my own life. In any case, I've had absolutely amazing people come into my life. People that have taught me life lessons, and even allowed me to learn more about myself. A lot of these people, however, have gone their own way. Still, the lessons I've been taught through them have stayed with me. I wouldn't be the person I am today without these "friends for a season." I think it's important to realize that your friends move on, more often than not in a direction that's completely different than your own. That doesn't mean we shouldn't make friends. I think more than anything it should illustrate the importance of enjoying friends to the fullest while they are still in our lives. Life goes by pretty fast if you haven't already noticed, and before you know it the the people that have become so dear in our lives are suddenly gone... Be it through death or just the road they embark on is different than our own. I have another 9 months or so in the state of Utah before I begin a new chapter in my life in Tennessee. Over the 5 years I've been in Utah I've made my fair share of friends, and sadly I'll be moving away from all of them and will have to start from scratch. Technology can facilitate a way to keep in touch, but that's ultimately not the same thing as being able to spend time with people. The doctorate program I'll be attending doesn't require a degree and so I've more or less chosen not to finish earning it. I'm 21 credits shy of said degree. Perhaps that's irresponsible of me. In a lot of ways I agree with that, but at the same time I want to spend as much time with the friends I have and make as many new friends as I can as well. I've spent the past 4 months cooped up at school for 40 hours a week and working 40 hours on top of that. Am I going to remember 30,40,50 years from now that I received a meaningless degree (I'll be getting my doctorate in 4 years anyways), or am I going to remember the special time I was able to spend with friends old and new alike? I think the latter is more likely. And who knows, perhaps somewhere in the mix I'll find friends that will be with me for a lifetime.