I often think about the friendships I've had over time. For me, friends are my chosen family. They are the people I connect with on a deeper level than surface-level. They are the humans I can be my whole self with. I've been fortunate to have many connections. I find currently there are fewer people in my circle. I don’t seek them out and have lost some of the closest ones. I want to give grace to those who have fallen away through circumstance and life changes. I want to acknowledge, for my part, that with work and my own situations, I don’t show up in the same way. There are still folks who have been with me through many seasons, whom I cherish and hold dear. I am grateful to have these souls alongside me through the journey. They continue to show up when called and sometimes spontaneously. I know that I serve a similar purpose in their narrative. I grieve for the lost travelers who shared space and time with me. I celebrate the moments spent on patios, couches, and at kitchen tables. I try to stay present, knowing those times existed and will exist again with new people and old.
For the past few days, I have felt sullen and bewildered by the lack. I know I won’t live there.
