New Priorities, New People, New Pictures

The French medieval poet, Eustace Deschamps said, "Friends are relatives you make for yourself."  That quote is on my front door.  Once inside my home, a very prominent feature is the display of pictures above the couch.  In my 20s and early 30s, I filled the display with as many people as I could.  I have since replaced some of the older photos of big groups of friends with more recent photos with people I love, people who have become like family.  This change is not merely aesthetic; it represents a change in my life, a decision to invest more fully into fewer people rather than to spread myself thin.  Maybe I'm entering a time of life where I'd rather spend my time and energy on a small number of precious folk rather than a big group of party people.  This gradual change of pictures also represents something I've learned in life, that is to stop chasing after friendships with people who could take me or leave me, and instead to focus on those friendships that have stood the test of time and distance.  This wall of mine is a truer representation of me than any other wall.