Bittersweet Goodbyes

This is the last weekend before school is out. Next weekend will see students and teachers alike taking off in all different directions all across the world. Some are going on vacation or returning to their home countries for up to 5 weeks, while others are returning home for good. Never before in my life have I experienced such a mass exodus of people that I know and love. Last July was difficult because we were heading out into the unknown and leaving loved ones behind, and this June is bittersweet because there are so many people who we have come to love who we may never see on earth again. Seriously. We do, however, have oodles of places to stay all over the various continents if we decide to travel:)

I am a picture person. I take pictures and if I could draw I'd create pictures. I talk and think in pictures and I believe God speaks to me in pictures as well. On that note, I process in pictures as well. The conclusion I have come to regarding relationships is that life is like a huge body of water. In the Comox Valley I entered into most of my relationships cautiously, testing the waters and moving slowly. Each step that I chose to take in getting to know someone else was calculated (to a point) and somewhat anticipated. I take relationships seriously, and think that I put a lot of effort into them. By the time I was deep in the friendship I couldn't touch bottom but that was my choice. I chose to work my way out into the deep end of the friendship. Here in Indo, life is so different. When you arrive, EVERYBODY is new and you have a completely clean slate in terms of who you present yourself to be. I initially thought I'd try to create a 'new Kim' but the old me is so cemented that that lasted about 3 days (if that). I have had opportunity to wade into a few relationships and have seen them grow gradually, with deep roots. However, especially in the beginning, it was like I arrived at the body of water and found a diving board, which I promptly jumped off...head first. Diving like that is terrifying for me in real life and metaphorically it was, too. At about 3 months into living here I stated "I have enough friends. I don't need any more" only because I was tired of telling my story, tired of listening to other peoples' stories and trying to remember who said what. That didn't last long, either, but I still think it made sense. At some point I felt over my head in the deep end and needed to come up for air.

Now, (you know there has to be a fish analogy in the "ocean of life") I am swimming in a pool of multi-coloured fish, some of whom are sticking with me and turning in the same direction that I am. Others are being scooped out of our water body with a big huge net and being taken somewhere else. Maybe I'll see them again, but it's very likely I won't see most of them, and that's hard to take. However, if I just decided to stick to myself and swim alone, I'd be one lonely, meandering fish. I am thankful for those who have allowed me to be a part of their lives and who are now going to try out a different stage of life. I am richer because of the people I have in my life, regardless of whether we meet again. Besides, who knows what God will put in our path...who'd have thought Tris and I would be living in Indonesia, spending our summer with his old highschool buddies and their two children?

Thanks for reading.