"...Since way back in Philly..."

I got to take a little time away from my "real life" this weekend and visit some dear friends in Abilene, TX.  Sweet Sally Gary was my ever gracious host for a weekend filled with brownies and belly laughs.  We saw a movie.  We sat around playing music.  We shared meals together.  Pretty sweet.

Now, back in the daily grind of everyday life feeling refreshed and renewed, I find myself thinking back on my weekend away trying to figure out what exactly it was that has renewed me so much--If I can figure out what we did that brought such renewal, maybe I can incorporate elements into my daily routine, and the need for renewal won't be so strong in the future.  Alas, it seems that the "getting away" was a big part of it--the perspective that comes from stepping back and looking at the world through a more objective, less blinder-bound lens.

And I find myself smiling.  It was sweet to get to spend time looking at life through a wide-angle lens.  The movies, music, and meals were all punctuated with conversations about life.  We all shared--laughing at times and crying at others.  We shared our stories, the events that brought us to this place, together.  I got to tell about life as a child in rural Arkansas.  I got to recall and recount the time that I spent living on Camac Street in the heart of Philly.  I got to describe life in Seattle, travels in Europe, heartache, hurt, etc, etc...  Sure, our stories often weren't about much more than missing a flight or loosing a tooth or getting a new job--but telling those stories, sharing my life--that was significant to my renewal because it helped give me a sense of perspective.

Thank you, God for dear friends you given us to laugh and love with.  Thank you for showing us, just when we need to see it most, how you've always been with us and always loved us.  Thank you for perspective.