The little platoon we take through life gets smaller, and shared memories become ours alone.
A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with a few friends that I've known for many years. We were discussing how it is that, at some point in life, it's like the wind has shifted and there's a change in the weather. Over the past couple of months, I've lost two old friends to cancer, another to a stroke (all three were in their early 50s), and a young friend in a vehicle accident. Just now, things are feeling decidedly like late autumn. Fortunately, spring always comes around again. These days, I don't worry too much about convention. New acquaintances are soon invited to come out on the river, or to wander along on the trails. Maybe that's how we compensate for the circle which would otherwise grow a little smaller with each passing year. |
