Don’t Let Your People Slip Away

A couple weeks ago, I spent the weekend with some college girlfriends in Galveston, TX. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw some of this trip. (My latest obsession are IG stories.)

I cheered with them in college, and a few I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. Most of us moved away from our college town, got married, had babies, and pursued career paths leading us away from one another.

(And one isn’t even on social media these days! Gasp!)

Ten years was way too long to go without a reunion. 

Do you have friends like this? Ones who have drifted away?

I’ve noticed this with more recent people in my life, as well. Fellow church go-ers, co-workers and neighbors who were a big part of my life for a long time, have since sort-of evaporated from my daily life.

Because life happened.

When life happens, it will take us on different paths.

Hear me when I say – this is okay. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

It’s okay to move on, to make new friends and focus our day-to-day on other things. But I would argue there are some people in our lives we shouldn’t move on from … at least not completely.

They are your people.

My weekend in Galveston was full of stories, tears, laughter and a few kickass 90s rap dance parties (in pajamas) with some of the most awesome women I know. My supper clubs and lunch/coffee dates with local friends are filled with much of the same thing. Nothing profound usually happens.

Except relationship.

We were created for community.

When we allow life to sweep us away in the day-to-day, we lose that community, those relationships, those people.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24–25 )

My advice? Do what you have to do in order to not lose your people completely.

If that means spending hours on a flight, do it.
If that means bringing your work computer and sales calls to a beach house, do it.
If that means dishing out some from savings for travel, do it.
If that means setting up your own supper club and finding babysitters, do it.
If that means you have to choose McDonalds over Starbucks for coffee because of the playground, do it.

Don’t let these people from 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago slip away through the facade of social media “friendships” and “that’s just life” excuses.

They are worth your time … your face-to-face time.

And you are worth theirs’.