Relationships Matter

My favorite tv show is "Parenthood".  It shows all different stages of life and all types of relationships.  Cousins, aunts/uncles, brother, sister, mother, father, son, daughter, husband, wife, young in life, middle age, aging, in a happy marriage, in a conflicted marriage, single life, student, teacher....and anything else I'm forgetting.


Something that I've known for a while, is that relationships matter.  When I was younger,  I can't say that I felt that to the extent or depth that I feel that now.  When I was little, the only relationship that mattered to me was me as a daughter and on days I felt like being nice - me being a sister. : ) 


Then there were the time in my life where Chad was the only one that mattered. 


Chad actually helped me realize how important it was for me to expand my universe! He pushed me to go beyond the realm of "Franklinness" to find friends of other universes.  :)


One such universe was our time spent in Linton at Linton AG.  While there is so much sadness with the ending of our time there, for a short while, we spent time with one family in particular that I thought we'd grow old and still be friends.  Tonight I'm sad to say that partly because of us and mostly because of the circumstances just getting out of hand, we don't have that long term friendship with that family.  But just because we don't communicate any more doesn't mean that they don't have a place in my heart and tonight - I'm thinking of them and hoping that God will bless them abundantly. 


Because, relationships matter, even those that are no longer in a fully functioning format.