People have often made fun of my Facebook addiction. I'll admit- sometimes I do spend too much time on there playing games and following friends' exploits. But what a wonderful tool for reconnection it has become for me.
Just recently, I received a friend request from a dear college friend that I hadn't heard from in a decade. I'd been trying to find him since discovering Facebook, but none of our mutual friends were in contact with him anymore. Benji was my little brother in our fraternity/sorority world and also one of my closest confidants. I could talk to him about anything, and he'd listen and offer an unbiased (read honest!) opinion when I needed it. He made me laugh at myself and others. I could always count on him, and for a while, we were inseparable. However, life took control after college ended and we lost touch.
So, low & behold when I got that friend request, I couldn't hit accept fast enough! And you know what- no matter how many years have passed and all that has transpired in each of our lives, we have picked up right where we left off. He still listens and lets me ramble while being a voice of reason when I need it. We've caught each other up on the details of our lives and are moving forward as older, wiser friends.
I'm often reminded of the "Reason, Season, Lifetime" poem when I reflect upon the people that have come & gone from my life. Sometimes, you think someone was a just Season because you've lost touch and time has passed. Then you get the opportunity to reconnect and realize that person is one of the Lifetimers- and always will be. And that's all I need to know when it comes to a friend.
July 17, 2010
July 7, 2010
Happy Belated Birthday, America!
America is great because America is good, and if America ever cease to be good, America will cease to be great.
~ Alexis de Tocqueville,1833
Three days ago we celebrated the birth of America- the greatest nation on Earth. The fourth of July has always been a special holiday in my family. Not only does it mark the middle of summer between school semesters, but it is a time to honor the many freedoms we enjoy based solely on the land in which we live. Freedom of religion, speech, the right to bear arms, ability to come and go as we please, shop where we want, do what we want (within the limits of the law), and all sorts of other freedoms. But these freedoms don't come free. Someone has to pay the price. Since 1776, men and women have sacrificed, fought and died so that we can remain free.
My uncle Larry lost his life in Vietnam in 1969. He was a PFC in the US Marine Corps and only 18 years old. He gave his life saving a fellow Marine. I never knew him and have only seen pictures of him. I've found his name on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC twice. Seeing it and touching it always gets me choked up. To some, he and the 58,266 other soldiers are just names carved in granite. To me, he is someone I'll only know as a picture in the hall outside my bedroom door and the younger brother my dad will never forget. He's one of my heroes because of his service to our country.
My brother is currently serving his second tour overseas. He missed the births of his two children due to deployments in addition to countless holidays & birthdays. It's bittersweet not celebrating our Nation's birthday with him, but I know he was celebrating in a different way. He's over there so I can remain free over here.
The many men and women in our Armed Forces have a more important job than I will ever have. I'll never save someone's life or defend their freedom by giving my own life. I'll never stand before a hostile enemy and pray that I see my family again. I'll never take off a pair of combat boots and shake desert sand out of them, but many others will do that every day so that I can do my job and enjoy the many freedoms I experience here.
God bless America and our soldiers!
~ Alexis de Tocqueville,1833
Three days ago we celebrated the birth of America- the greatest nation on Earth. The fourth of July has always been a special holiday in my family. Not only does it mark the middle of summer between school semesters, but it is a time to honor the many freedoms we enjoy based solely on the land in which we live. Freedom of religion, speech, the right to bear arms, ability to come and go as we please, shop where we want, do what we want (within the limits of the law), and all sorts of other freedoms. But these freedoms don't come free. Someone has to pay the price. Since 1776, men and women have sacrificed, fought and died so that we can remain free.
My uncle Larry lost his life in Vietnam in 1969. He was a PFC in the US Marine Corps and only 18 years old. He gave his life saving a fellow Marine. I never knew him and have only seen pictures of him. I've found his name on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC twice. Seeing it and touching it always gets me choked up. To some, he and the 58,266 other soldiers are just names carved in granite. To me, he is someone I'll only know as a picture in the hall outside my bedroom door and the younger brother my dad will never forget. He's one of my heroes because of his service to our country.
My brother is currently serving his second tour overseas. He missed the births of his two children due to deployments in addition to countless holidays & birthdays. It's bittersweet not celebrating our Nation's birthday with him, but I know he was celebrating in a different way. He's over there so I can remain free over here.
The many men and women in our Armed Forces have a more important job than I will ever have. I'll never save someone's life or defend their freedom by giving my own life. I'll never stand before a hostile enemy and pray that I see my family again. I'll never take off a pair of combat boots and shake desert sand out of them, but many others will do that every day so that I can do my job and enjoy the many freedoms I experience here.
God bless America and our soldiers!
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