It’s LETTERS BETWEEN FRIENDS DAY! Tricia wrote me back…see last weeks letter here.
Dear Lindsay,
“Even the anticipation of God’s glory is beautiful.” WOW I love it. I’ve been thinking about life as a journey this week (which is made easier by the fact that I’ve been constantly on the road!), and it changes the way I view things. So often I get stuck with Wanting That and Needing This, and life doesn’t seem quite worth it until I have this or that thing. But you’re right, there’s beauty in desiring something new, and there’s beauty in waiting for it.
I’ll take this idea one step further. There’s beauty in endings, too. This one feels especially hard to me, but something deep inside feels like it’s true. Goodbyes suck! Whether it’s a job, a home, a person – I want to keep everything I love forever and ever, and I hate being parted! This is partly why I’m on this massive road trip. I’ve made friends all over the United States, and I refuse to let our friendships die.
But at the same time, choosing an adventurous life (whether its pursuing a new job or moving to Greece) means saying goodbye to something. And while I mostly like to avoid those hard feelings, I think there’s something really beautiful in feeling the pain. After all, as John Green said in The Fault in Our Stars: “It hurts because it mattered.” (Of course I have a book reference!)
Honestly, in writing this to you, I’m putting our two epiphanies together, because right now, I’m ANTICIPATING saying GOODBYE to you, and it sucks. I don’t want to spend a year away from you! So my natural inclination is to shut everything down, put on a smile, and pretend I didn’t have that feeling. But I won’t. Because being your friend matters to me, so being separated from you hurts. Will hurt. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t look TOO far ahead.
After all, I get to see you in just a little over a week! I can’t wait, and the anticipation is DEFINITELY beautiful.
Love,
Tricia
