Jeff and I come from great families -the kind that are friends. The kind you hang out with, party with, connect with. Watch each other's families grow, and feel pride. The kind of families most people would want be part of. Every day.
Funny thing is, even living in close proximity we still didn’t see each other very often. We could go for months without getting together or picking up the phone. Especially in the bitter New England winter, which kept everyone hibernating. We’d all get into our own lives - working, managing every day “stuff”, and “vegging” on weekends. We did, though, make a point of getting together for holidays and special events, which gave us an instant “family fix”. Hooking up with friends wasn’t consistent either, though admittedly, we’d see each other slightly more on weekends, and much more in the summer.
It might seem we take each other for granted, and maybe we do to a certain extent. But that makes Jeff and I no less grateful for the incredible people who've enriched our lives along the way. And here in Costa Rica, we’ve got an especially tight little community. We're naturally linked by a sense of adventure, retirement, and the close contact of a small village. In fact, our social calendar can actually get totally out of control if we want it to (which is what happened last week.) And like anywhere, you make acquaintance-friends and lifelong friends. All fill you in unique ways.
No doubt, it’s the people around you who make all the difference. And sadly, with every move away, there’s loss. But what eases that is knowing that true friendships and family relationships transcend time and space. You carry them with you in the world, and they do you. You remain unconditionally, unquestionably connected.
And now with Skype, internet and basic phone, it’s all good. Love at our fingertips.
Tell us about your relationships near and far. We'd love to hear from you!
