thank goodness for the fortunate accidents

this weekend was spent in state college, bathed in spectacular sunlight and soaking up beautiful views and warmth from good friends. at the risk of sounding sentimental, my heart is full. and i needed my tank topped off. there were not enough seconds, minutes, or hours in the days.

my friends: i love them dearly and we've been friends for a long time. brad - we met ten and a half years ago; he was leading a trail crew day at shaver's creek and i went along. herman - i can't nail down a specific meeting point but our paths crossed about the same time as brad's and mine. and weston - nine years ago i started hanging out with his roommate brad first, then peter. carolyne - i think we met ten years ago this fall, my memory tells me it was training for outing club staff. susanne - perhaps eight years ago in my travels between shaver's creek and the outing club. add to this list robert - three years ago we shared a dinner with a friend and somehow kept in touch long enough to get all googly eyed at one another. plus janice - this girl herman kept mentioning and talking about and finally upon meeting her i just couldn't stop smiling. and liz - beginning as the "other liz" in conversation, i think she's the "liz" now. and of course, regan - i remember wes telling me about this great woman he had started hanging out with and how, when i finally got to meet her, the energy she exuded eclipsed any i'd ever experienced. i was happy my friend weston had found her, and that i was one of the lucky ones who got to share her because of that.

and the list could go on and on, i could go back to the moment everyone walked into my life, from folks i just met this weekend to people i've added along the way - friends in state college, friends in the dccod, and of course, every one else from each point in my life. every single one has given me a memory and the best thing is, this weekend, we all had regan and wes, two of the most inspiring, loving, caring, and fun-loving people i know, in common. i'm glad for those two people, among all these others. is it any wonder my heart is full?

you see, the thing is, life certainly is full of fortunate accidents. from falling in love, to sitting on a couch in the morning sun laughing and sipping coffee, to sitting around a dinner table eating a home cooked meal with a family miles away from my own but feeling as though i'm home, to traveling to different countries and attempting a foreign language, to riding a bike, to riding skis... there are all these moments where trails converge and lives intertwine. in looking back and examining my own journey, with all the bumps along the way, my friends have remained steadfast - near or far, often talked-to or not.

i was reminded of this countless times during the past weekend. my face hurt as the end of the night neared on sunday; i had smiled myself into the wee hours. it was a perfect day and i couldn't have wished for a better one for two better people. thank you, wes and regan, for reminding us how good life is. we are all rich beyond our dreams.