Do people and friends come and go for a reason? Or is it just coincidence?
The question has been on my mind a lot lately since someone I thought I had formed a really good friendship with up and decided that it was ridiculous to continue to be friends with someone 2000 miles away, but last night I met someone else that made me wonder the same thing. It’s like there’s just too many coincidences that have been happenning lately to me. Or maybe they really are just coincidences, and we, as individuals consciously or sub-consciously choose to put more meaning behind things than there really are. On the other hand, we can also choose to dismiss things we feel are true when we choose to or they no longer become convenient for us. It’s all very complicated. Is there a real answer?
There is a part of me that not many people know about - a set of interests and vices. Because of my own experiences and understandings of this aspect of life, I’ve been starting to feel that I am in a unique position to make connections with people struggling with similar issues. I felt that way about my friend, and thought that maybe one reason we began opening up to each other the way we did was because we had sort of an understanding on this level. I never judged her, and she never judged me. She’s not the only one I’ve felt this with either. There’s many others.
Unfortunately, she’s decided to withdraw from the friendship - a very conscious and deliberate decision. Since I’ve all but given up hope on re-establishing the friendship and open communication, it makes me wonder whether or not we were really put into each others’ lives for a reason. I know she had an impact on me, at least. Anyway, not the point of this.
I’ve gotten the impression that I’m easy to talk to and open up to, though I question that these days. Last night, someone else showed up in my life in an unexpected way. She’s 10 weeks pregnant and planning on getting an abortion. The circumstances of our meeting aren’t important, the point is that she was put into my life. The question is: was it for a reason or a coincidence? She openned up to me without knowing me, so I don’t think it was anything special. I think she was just talking and those were the things coming out. In any case, I emailed her tonight to offer support and let her know there were other options. I don’t expect to hear back from her, but hopefully I can make some sort of an impact.
I guess lately that’s my problem. I don’t feel that the career I’ve chosen is going to allow me to make the impact I feel I need to make in life. I’ve also never taken losing friends very well, especially deliberately. All of this has me wondering about life. What type of impact will I have on the world when I die? Whose life have I made an impact in? Was it significant? Were they changed for the better? Or the worse? Do we meet people at particular times for a reason? Do friends come and go in our lives at certain times for a reason other than those ridiculous ones given or because we just “drifted apart” as is the case with so many of my other friends? I miss my friends from college, though I’m glad to say I still keep in touch with them decently often. I miss my friend that I’ve lost, and hopefully she’ll come back one day. I miss my family, though I know they’ll always be there.
I believe life really is measured by the impact that you’ve made on others as well as the impact you’ve let others have on you. So does it all happen for a reason? Or is it coincidence? Certainly, for God’s gift of Free Will to be true, we all must make the choice to let someone impact us and to make an effort to make a positive difference in another’s life. Even if that effort is to just live your life to the fullest and be there for those who need you - when they need you.
Ok, enough rambling. Goodnight, and please pray for my lost friend as well as the woman I met last night and her baby. Maybe she’ll have a change of heart…
