a most welcome visitor

This weekend was a bittersweet respite.

Bittersweet because as lovely as it is to visit with beloved friends, it also serves  to remind how infrequently you get to see them. I can't help but experience a dip of melancholy every time I have to leave loved ones or watch them leave me and head into an airport. Tears are a given but at least they usually fall down a smiling face. It almost enough to make you wish for the days when everyone had to stay together their whole lives because leaving wasn't even an option. But that comes with its own set of drawbacks so you can't wish for that either. All you can do is think back to the days when all of your favorite people lived in one place; when seeing them all together was a weekly occurrence instead of an impossible fantasy.

Here I go getting melancholy again. It's not as hard as it used to be, but it is still hard. And then I feel guilty for feeling sad about the people I get to visit infrequently when there are others whose loved ones they won't ever get to see again. I try to let that put things back into perspective for me so I don't wallow for too long. And it usually works. I can put my body back into drive and make it navigate through this life. The callouses rough up a bit more to make the in-between time easier to brush off.

But let's focus on the fun things shall we? There was a rogue hailstorm, an adult evening with Shel Silverstein, the best audience a garage band has ever seen, ridiculous games and even more ridiculous conversation, way too much alcohol, and enough love to fill this old lady up to the brim. In short, it was a dream. So thank you to my visitors for filling up my heart and helping me empty my wallet in order to abuse my liver. It was absolutely perfect. Love you guys.