Reconnecting

I love reconnecting with people I love but haven't talked to/seen for a while. Here are two recent examples in my life.

1) Ashley...this gorgeous young thing was one of my YCL 1's when I was her level leader at camp a couple of years ago. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with this girl. She was tent mates with another FABULOUS chick named Jordan. One night I sat my chair right outside their tent door and we just talked. There youth and enthusiasm was refreshing and invigorating. We talked about everything and nothing until 3 or 4 in the morning. It was such fun! Ashley came back to camp last year as a YCL2 and I again marveled at her goodness and noted her maturity and wisdom. She was off to college in the fall to be a Nebraska Cornhusker. I thought of her many times that fall during football season. I recently heard she was getting married and wondered of that guy really knew what a gem he was about to receive. Then I was cruising around facebook the other day and there was Ashely, listed as a friend of one of my friends. I immediately sent a friend request and she confirmed. Now she has invited me to her bridal shower and her wedding reception. How cool is that? I am super excited to see her and celebrate this sacred event with her.

2) Marianne...this is one of my favorite women that roams this earth as we currently know it. She lived here with her beautiful little family when we first moved here. She and her husband Rich were fellow Utes and so we enjoyed football games and basketball games occasionally. When I first moved here we immediately found that we had a common friend in Utah as well as us having been in a ward with Rich's cousin Kimberly. It didn't take long for me to love this girl. We laughed together, cried together, felt the spirit together. The thing about our relationship was that we didn't spend tons of time together. I didn't see her or talk to her daily by any means, but I always felt great love for her and from her. She was just the kind of woman I want to become someday. In the last year Marianne helped Rich battle brain cancer. As the battle waged I would send an occasional email or comment on their "Caringbridge" blog, but I always felt I was not a "close enough" friend to call and take time away from the precious time they were fighting for. Well, Rich has passed and I was not able to attend his funeral. And so we have continued to exchange emails and comments on our facebook pages. The other day I decided to call Mar but she did not answer and so I committed to calling her back the day or two following. Last night while I was watching Benson play baseball my cell phone rang. It was Marianne. I was so excited! It was the first time I had heard her voice in a couple of years. I loved talking to her, hearing how she is doing at this difficult time, talking about Rich and her beautiful boys. And again, I felt great love from and for my dear friend, Marianne.

I love reconnecting! I have met so many amazing people in my 36 years! I pray I will get to reconnect with them, if not here on earth, in then next life!