Old Friends and New Conversations

I had dinner tonight with a good friend--Katie. We met almost 6 years ago when I moved to Provo and into Alta Apartments. She is one of those friends who you don't exactly remember how or when you connected, you just know that you did. And, you stayed connected through moves and various life changes. You get together every so often to catch up, and you slip back into conversation as if no time had passed.

I treasure those friends. They seem to understand how busy life is, and yet they simply appreciate the time you have together.

Katie has recently felt an onslaught of health problems. After many doctor visits and countless opinions, she is thinking she is in the early stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis. She is a fighter though--tough and resilient. Different parts of her body freeze on her, and her hands won't let her do all the normal functions that she has been so used to for 28 years. Life has suddenly changed--the future canvased in this new discovery. I am in awe of her strength and her determination to continue living in fullness. Although for Katie I'm sure that there is no other option because of the person she is, there are so many other people who make such different choices when faced with life-altering experiences. I can't imagine what similar events would do to me, but I would like to think that I would continue to face life with vigor and determination--like Katie.

I gather in such strength from the many people in my life who live courageously. I have had the opportunity as of late to share my fire experiences with a few groups of people. I always joke about the question, "What would you grab if your house were on fire?" It is a silly question, really, but I always say that you grab people!! I know it sounds so obvious, but when you are faced with losing material possessions or you actually lose material possessions you quickly realize that the things that matter most aren't what you own but who you have in your life. Your relationships with people really define who you are and what you can accomplish.

I'm just so glad that I have a friend like Katie--someone who laughs through the immense pain of severe health problems, who still finds hope in the promise of unbounded potential, and who will take the time to gab about all the little things in life that somehow add up to mean something big.