Friends Forever

Halloween...probably one of the "craziest" times of the year between parties, costumes, haunted houses, movies, and trick or treating.  However, I attended the 6th Homestead Horror Halloween Party at the Pratt Manor over the weekend.  Mr. Glenn Pratt has been throwing the best theme parties since we were 15 years old and here we are 9 years later and he still has the gusto to put together an awesome Halloween party (this year's theme - The Nightmare Before Christmas).  

This party felt a little different though. It was almost like a little high school reunion.  Even if there were only about 15 people there, we spent the better part of the party talking about what we all were up to, and who we had run into. I really enjoyed catching up with a few old friends that I hadn't talked to in a while and it was really nice to see how everyone has gone on to bigger and better things from high school.  The range of the "success" ranged from law school to logistics to grad school to moving out to LA for movie producing.  

As I drove back to West Lafayette the next day, I began to reflect on how far we had all come from those first few parties.  There were things we were so sure of during high school that have gone by the way side and there were things that we were spot on about as well.  It really got me thinking the most about the relationships we form.  Those people who really care about you genuinely want to know how you are doing (even if they shroud it by saying that their mom keeps asking what you're up to now).  Those are the people that regardless of the time and distance apart, that we should relish.  

It's no secret that my personal life was on easy street for years.  It makes it easy when your dating your best friend. However, life is an ever changing target and sometimes it throws you a curve ball when you don't expect it.  Thus I can honestly say that the last year or so hasn't necessarily been "easy" and I have had to grow so much as a person. But it was very nice to find out that relationships with people that I thought I lost, still genuinely cared about what I was up and how I was doing now.  Life is too short to get caught up in the "what if's" of life.  If you really want to know about the what if's in life, go do something about it.  And whether or not the answer is what you want to hear, you must learn from those experiences.  

I'm not sure if this reflection will actually make sense when I read it back but it is something that I felt needed to be put down on paper (or more accurately cyberspace).  The people who care about you and who you care about, are worth going the extra mile to keep in your life.  Even if that means driving the hour down to Indy to go to a karaoke bar, making that phone call to check in on someone, or even dropping everything to just hang out with someone when they really need a shoulder to cry on.  I really felt rejuvenated after seeing my old friends and in a time when everyone seems to be running away, it gave me comfort to find out we all have similar feelings about life.  We may be at different stages in life (married, college, new job, moving away, living at home) but we all need the love and support of our friends!  

So if and when you need a friend, never be afraid to call up that old pal that you haven't spoken to in a long while (or me, I'm always good for a little convo)!  Chances are they could use a little pick me up too!