Shifts

Every few months things shift a little for everyone it seems and this time of year is no different. I've been noticing a shift in a few of my relationships, due to nothing bad, just life, and even decided to "clean up" my facebook lists this morning too. I've been so lucky to have awesome friends throughout the years, but sometimes when life changes, your friends don't really change with you. Hence my ever growing "Acquaintance" list, haha. I did unfriend a few people because I just don't really know them and/or really don't have any interest in them. For the most part though, people have just shifted.

I can clearly remembering this when I moved back from Michigan. I had a large group of people that I worked with, partied with and basically saw every single day in the months and years leading up to the move north. But during the 2 years I was gone, things changed. I missed out on a lot, but my friends here also missed out on me. We moved back about a year and a half ago and it took a good 3 or 4 months to get back in the swing of things. I was in a different place, I had gotten married and made a whole new life while I was gone and my friends had gone through equally life changing events. Things changed again majorly last year too with the loss of my brother and buying a house for the first time. I really did not encounter any negativity through this, but these instances brought some people way closer and some a little farther apart.

Another shift is taking place right now in my life as well as my friends lives. Some are having/just had babies, changing jobs, moving, and again some are growing apart. I have been annoyed at times, but then I think back to all of the great experiences and friends I've had along the way and it's kinda hard to be upset. If I hadn't had friends move through my life, I wouldn't have had time or energy to meet new ones. And, I gotta say, some of these new friends I couldn't live without!

I am still lucky to have my tight little group of friends from my youth, who remarkably have grown and changed with me and we still have tons in common... My little group from college, my little group from life after college, my amazing Michigan crew and now my renewed friendships that are strengthened as we all move in like directions now. I've had a terrible time adjusting to life since last May, so to have these pods of friends sprinkled through my life really helps bring me back to earth.  

I'm very interested to see how things will shift again once Baby Dean finally comes too. It'll be another adjustment with my single/non-parent friends, but it seems like my bonds with the married/parent friends are just going to get stronger and stronger. I have so much more respect for a few friends that I once considered mere acquaintances now that I know what they've gone through and what awesome people they've turned out to be...  I intend to surround myself with these people as much as possible and I think I'll be just fine!