Goodbyes

Our final week in Grand Rapids was rich with final get-togethers with friends before leaving for Iowa. One friend emailed this clipping from her devotions, which I'd like to pass on:

One of the most heart-rending moments of life comes when close friends say goodbye, knowing that many miles will separate them from their countless shared experiences. Distance takes on the menacing look of an enemy when it dares to stand between such friends!

Soon they will find themselves building protective shields around the ache of separation. They will feel themselves both courting and resisting the urge to clip those threads that bind their hearts in love. And they will argue repeatedly with a voice that warns, "Don't build new friendships - life has a demolition crew around every corner!"

But discovery lies ahead. Real friendship is resilient. The very cords that make it strong - commitment, creativity, caring and sharing - are elastic, and friends can remain committed and even more creative in their long-distance sharing.
Now cards and letters - stackable memories to be relived over a cup of coffee - will communicate love in indelible ink. Anticipated visits will be far richer for their infrequency. Thoughts and feelings long saved and protected will be unlocked and shared.

Best of all, a discovery will be made that hearts in harmony can just as easily carry a tune long distance.