Fellowship With Wilderness

... than never to have loved at all"

Is that really true? This quote from my senior year english teacher is one I'm always reminded of in thinking about relationships and friendships and love. I just had to say goodbye to my college roommate of two years and it really hurt this morning when she left. I mean it was painful for her to leave. She graduated a year early and is moving to Panama, the country, on Wednesday. She packed up her room and moved out on Saturday but she stuck around for a couple more days and we got to go to a Braves game last night. So it was fun and a good going away but back to that quote by Alfred Lloyd Tennyson... is it really?

I mean the pain of her leaving- did that pale in comparison to the amazing times we had? Probably= but it hurts. College can hurt- people leaving and coming, making life changing decisions and choices. High school friends coming into their own in college. I feel like we are pushed together so hard in college and then ripped apart mercilessly.

Wow maybe I'm saying all these things because she just left about 4 hours ago. I mean she's still alive going on into a new stage in her life but I will miss her while I'm still in this stage of mine. But if Tennyson is right... and if it's better to have close friends and vulnerability than to be alone... which I think he is right... then I am going to love all I can so that the good times more than outweight the pain of loss and change and I'm going to believe that...

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.