Have you ever lost a friendship only to capture it back years later? Isn’t it amazing when that connection, the chemistry, remains present today, even with the passage of time? What initially brought you both close together may not be there anymore, but the bond still remains untarnished.
I recently connected with some friends from days gone by. Initially I thought it might be awkward but as soon as we were together, the distance disappeared. It was as if we had remained connected all these years and we quickly jumped in to the business of filing each other in on what was going on in our lives, what had changed, etc..much as we did in years gone by. In those days, we were consumed with trying to find our way. At our ages now, we realize we got lost several times along the way and now, as long as we are moving forward in personal growth, all is well in our worlds.
I think this is part of the joy with Facebook. Where else can you so easily connect with so many friends from high school that you haven’t seen in years? If you have left the area, the chances of running into any of them are nil. Even a great networker is hard pressed to find, with the passage of time, a long ago lost friend hanging in the exact same circles as you.
The case can certainly be made that social media outlets do a lot more than just brand images. They give us a chance to reach out to people from our past and make that far away connection. It helps us gain closure with some of those past friendships. Even if some of those memories of days gone by are painful, finding out that most of us have not hardened with age is refreshing. The most popular kid in high school does not equate, often times, to the most successful either. Somehow for those that were not high up in the pecking order, this reflection gives much comfort and yes, even some vindication.
Life goes go on and moves forward. With it, many of us have formed many new wonderful friendships. But even with the passage of time, it is still important to never forget our roots. Much as our family is part of who we are, they helped move and shape us, so did our friends of long ago. Those relationships impacted our perception of the world we live in and more importantly, our reflections of ourselves in that moment of time we were connected. Enough moments put together make up reality. Our reality is who we are.
Take the time to reach out to some of those ole friends of days gone by and touch base. You may simply find closure and then again, you may luck out. The friendship that was there before may very well be just as exciting and mutually satisfying as ever! In our busy lives, we need to make the time to find out.
