Running
I like to run. Not just because it is so good for your body and you can do it mindlessly or while listening to music but also because it is great that you can meditate on more important things too. But for me, I also find that it is a time when I remember so many people that I have ran with throughout the year, seasons, once, twice or a dozen time--or just random people that are so awesome. Gabe, Coomber, Dave C., Ryan K., Doug-boo, Chris, Pete, Kurt, Kemal…some have great stories, others I just think of because…I do. And then the people that I think of often: Kretzmer, Chase, Earl, Jonathans, Christian and Oscar and the growth group from summer 06 then Jess, , Anthony, Anne, and Leo and the growth group from 07…and then sometimes: Phil, Mancini, Britney, the cheerleading girls, the X.C. crew, J.D. (both Donatellies), my roommates…the list can go on. What I realized is that I miss these people a lot or that they have had a huge influence on me. Whatever it is/was, if it is a short friendship or a lifelong friendship, the degree that these people have affected me is clearly something I think of and appreciate ever so often. Maybe we were only friends for a couple months or for over ten years but regardless I notice that they were in my life at one point or another for a particular reason. I suppose you can say there are friends for every season, so one should not be so wistful about their absence in the present but rather look back and see that these people were there to grow you in whatever way. I’m pretty sure I am not just myself but rather a development and accumulation of all the people that have left impressions on me and for this I thank you! I have probably thanked God for you at some point and I will continue to. So if you have ever thought of whether you have left your mark or influenced people, here’s to a confirmation that you have and will probably continue to do so. :) Be a friend all season long; friendship doesn’t take breaks.
