So often I find myself reminiscing about a time gone by or a favorite memory of mine and I appreciate your patience with me as I continue to do so and do so quite often.

It’s not that I don’t make fond memories now, I certainly do. But so often the paths I find myself on now, have so much to do with the ones that brought me to this time and this place.

If I had gone in any other direction, who knows where I may have ended up. And I’m so blessed and thankful to be where I am, and doing what I’m doing from both a personal and profession standpoint.

I say all that to relay a couple of instances that have happened to me lately that not only brought back fond memories but gave me perspective as I look to the future.

During a recent conference I attended, I ran into an old friend, and we began to recall a time gone by in which we worked in the same place and knew many of the same co-workers. We talked about the many situations we found ourselves in, mostly good but all very interesting.  

It was a good conversation and reminded me so much of people I enjoyed working with long ago, some of which are no longer with us.

We ended our time together with a big hug and a “Love ya, man.” Fast forward two weeks later and during a trip to the grocery store, I ran into an old high school schoolmate.

I had not seen this person in years, but he hadn’t changed a bit other than the few pounds he had found along the way. I immediately knew his face and smile and much to my surprise, he immediately knew me.

It’s always good to know that after 40 some years, I can still be recognized by my school friends. I asked him how he was doing, and his answer hadn’t changed since our high school days. “I still have my good looks,” he said with a big smile, and we laughed so hard I thought I would cry.

Right there in the middle of the grocery story, we had time to reflect, recall a time from our past, and share a big laugh after all these years. Again, we ended our short visit with a big hug and a “Love ya, man.”

As I left the store and made my way back home, I couldn’t help but think of both these chance encounters and how good it felt to see old friends at a time when some of my old friends are departing this world.

I discovered how important those memories are to me now and how I want to make many more for as long as the good Lord sees fit. May we all be fortunate enough to see old friends, have a good laugh and leave them with a big hug and a “Love ya man,” as we travel down the backroads.