I think many would agree: Facebook has it’s good and bad aspects. For me, it can be a great source of information, connection, and annoyance…all within seconds and sometimes simultaneously.

Reconnecting with people has been a great part of Facebook for me – even if that reconnection is completely virtual and infrequent.

Among my FB friends are four teachers and a principal from high school – it’s weird, but even now, I still call them Mr. or Mrs. <insert name>…I guess it’s just a habit.

This morning, i read that one of them passed away.

I am often terrible at memories or reminiscing (my wife can confirm this), but there are a few memories that I have from high school, which for me was a very small private school which, amongst other things, offered great teachers and an overall great learning experience.

Mrs. B was a teacher who challenged me – but she did it in a way that garnered participation and, ultimately, appreciation.

You see, while challenging us with critical thinking, she often lulled us into conversation (and learning) with mulled cider.  Yep, that cider memory has stuck with me to this day.  I could never for the life of me detect/see/get the “underlying meaning of what <inset author’s name> meant when he or she wrote <insert passage>” thing; but Mrs. B’s mulled cider during class sure made it easier to try.

I’m not really a mulled cider drinker; but, each time I smell it or order one for my wife at Starbucks, there will now always be one person that comes to mind.

Mrs. B impacted the lives of many – I was lucky enough to be one of them.

She will be missed…and seen again.

sometimes hearing the details makes things worse

but details are necessary

stick to your regimen, no matter how long
sticking to said regimen delays you

unless someone’s life depends upon
you being on time of course

All stages of life have sucky parts

accept it. deal with it. seek out unsucky parts

writing a comment or response then deleting
it is both therapeutic and wise

making sure to delete the comment and not
inadvertently hitting the return/enter
button is crucial

i love running in the rain

yep, yep

what is normal, anyway?

[crickets]

sometimes being an optimist is tiring

[zzzzzzzzz]

this afternoon i got a one line text from my wife

a friend we hadn’t seen in a while passed away

even though i hadn’t seen him in years, it was a gut punch

in fact, Karen and i were talking about friends recently and he was part of that conversation. great memories.

but, things change. people lose touch, move, all kinds of other things

that’s life

but change…life…doesn’t lessen the punch to the gut when a friend passes

i have an assurance that i will see him again

but that assurance doesn’t remove the punch to the gut

though it should