Friends and family are a beautiful addition to the life of any person, right? I suppose they should be. Like I said, I suppose. I don’t know where that leaves the people we’ve known, well, since forever. These are the people who are in our lives by default, they weren’t chosen but rather thrust upon you. But what happens to those relationships as we grow older? If you ask me, that’s right about the time then begin making our own choices in life about where and more importantly, with whom, we spend time?
Love or obligation
Are there people in your life that you feel obligated to ‘save a seat’ for in your life simply because of how long you’ve known them? If the answer is yes, would it really be a bad idea to scan the auditorium to examine
who does and who does not qualify to still hold that seat, to still have a reserved spot in your life?
Instead of referencing how long you’ve known a person, how about referencing how much value they add to your life instead. Sounds logical to me. Too bad, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
I’ve often found myself buckling under the pressure of having too little time to make room for the demands of everything and everyone in my life. At a certain point during my matriculation into full adulthood I decided it was time to edit my life like I will this post when it’s done. Time to remove what I no longer had room for, what no longer fit my life.
Front row or balcony
Former Editor-in-Chief, Susan Taylor gave me the perfect analogy years ago when I read her book In the Spirit as a young college student. She points out that everyone isn’t always going to have a front row seat in your life – those words have stayed with me since I was a young impressionable college student until this very day. The reality is that some people may start off in the front row of your life and end up in the balcony; some may end up exiting the auditorium. But there are no guarantees.
So what do you do? Live in the moment. Appreciate the people who are in your life right now because they may not be there your forever. And for sure, once in a while, you may find that people who started in the front row, later moved to the balcony, and ultimately exit without ever seeing you take your final bow or your curtain fall. But it’s okay. I promise you, it’s okay.
My thing is this: I’d rather feel inspired rather than obligated to hold a space in my life. Family or no family, you want to be in my world – you better earn your keep. Be real. Be honest. Genuinely love me. You do that…there will always be a seat in my life for you!
