Barriers...

This weekend, I went back to my home state.  Traveling without my family, I found myself tuning into 80's music, singing in the van.  If you passed me on I35, I apologize for the display.   I met my high school friends and my brother.  Over the years, I have made several friends who are dear to me, carried me through tough times and remain close.  The girls (ladies now) I met this weekend, though, are the ones who knew me when.  The people with whom I have shared a lifetime of experiences, who know my history, who know my flaws (boy do they) and still embrace me.   You know - the friends with whom you can say something and you are all on the same page laughing.   When we see each other, we do not see the years but we see the same face we knew when we were 16.  OK, maybe we do see the age a little....but there is still the same familiar.  
Life is short.  In a blink, you are 30, 40, 50 and too often we let the minor things get in the way of what matters.  We often put barriers in front of our potential joys - it is too much money, it is too far, we don't have the time, we have work to do, yards to clean, laundry, houses, jobs, pets...the list goes one.  Sometimes, though, you have to press the pause button and say, "I'm going to do this."  You carve out time to see people and make memories that will last far beyond the time spent.  I am still learning to bypass the barriers and just give in.  So, this weekend, I bought a pendant to help remind me daily of what I should do.  It simply states:  Give it to God and let go.