Every now and then I have a piece penned and ready to post and an event arises that trumps what was previously planned. Today is one of those days.
I had this great, insightful blog — noting the commonality between the most pressing current events — and how they magnify the failure of man in recognizing that boundaries are good. Then something more significant happened in my household. Something trumped that post. Something affected my heart so much more…
While seemingly small in comparison to any international incident, yesterday I watched my oldest son say goodbye to one of his best friends…
Jake and Seth have been friends as long as I can remember — no doubt as long as they can remember. I can’t remember a time when these two weren’t hanging out together. From their earliest days, they attended the same Sunday school classes — sometimes even paying attention. 🙂
They did school together, baseball together… they’ve done life together. Together with four other wonderful young men, they became each other’s support. They were each other’s “group.” They were each other’s guys. During those tricky adolescent years when some teens talk lesser to their parents, Jake and Seth were still always talking to each other. They grew up together.
They’ve laughed together, cried together, gotten in trouble together… eaten together… eaten a lot together… shared stories and girls and loves and heartaches. They’ve shared ambition — and ambition lost. They’ve shared dreams and faith and their honest hopes for the future.
They’ve gotten mad at each other. They’ve hurt each other. They’ve also been quick to forgive. They have loved each other well.
As you read this post, Seth will have begun an exciting new journey in his life. He and his family are literally traveling half way around the world, where his father will be working for the next three years. There is so much to look forward to; there is also much they leave behind — one of many being their great “group.” Thanks, no less, to the advances of social media, the boys will still tweet, talk, and text; they will be in touch; it just won’t be the same. So yesterday Seth came to say goodbye.
How do 17 year old boys who love each other say goodbye?
First they grab the Nerf guns.
Then they play swords.
Then they play baseball on the XBOX.
They gab the entire time.
They laugh and joke and even yell at the players on the XBOX.
They tease and smile and cheer each other on.
They sometimes even share a serious thought. Then they go back to yelling at the players on the XBOX.
They’re “doing life” together — one last time — at least for now.
I cried yesterday. Something significant happened in my household. What a beautiful thing.
Respectfully…
AR