Last hoorahs

I went away with some friends this weekend for one "last hoorah" as we all go our own ways this summer. Most of them, ok all of them, will be back in Phx this fall, so really this was my last hoorah. I was hoping that I would be able to see everyone one last time this summer for a friend's wedding in CO, but it is looking more and more like that's not going to happen because of the cost of airfares from Pittsburgh to Denver. (It's so much cheaper from Phoenix!) So, more than likely this weekend was goodbye for quite a while and that's just so strange. I know that I have brought this up a lot, but I just can't get used to it...the finality of goodbye. Granted, I know that it's something of a temporary goodbye because it's not as if I won't see them again, but it will never be the same again. I do not plan on moving back to Phoenix after I get back, that is if I come back, and I am sure that at some point many of my friends will leave Phoenix. The thing is that this doesn't just apply to the friends I was with this weekend, but really to most of the people in my life. I don't ever foresee things being as they are now. My best friend, someone I have been friends with for the last 14 years, will more than likely have another kid this year and then at some point she and her husband, who I have also known for 14 years, will move back to Cali. One of my other best friends is moving to North Carolina in June. My mom is turning 60 this November and I am faced with the reality that my parents are in fact aging. It's probable that my sister and brother-in-law will have a baby while I am away. It's just bizarre how quickly life changes...and how it goes on whether or not you're around to witness it. And vice versa. So much will happen to me in the coming year and those who know me best won't be there to witness it. They will hear second-hand about what's going on, but that's not the same as being there. 

I know that God has placed these people in my life for a reason and perhaps it was only for a season. I don't know. I can't say for certain what tomorrow will bring. It's just a surreal place to be in when you take a step back and look at your life and realize that everything is about to change and never again will it be what it is now. And I know that that is a good thing. Change is inevitable and it's good. I know this. There's just a heaviness in my heart as I contemplate this. What plans does the Lord have for me in the coming years? What plans does He have for those I love? I don't know. I can only trust that His plans are best and that's all I really need to know now.