March 2

This evening during dinner, we gathered in the family room to watch "Wreck it Ralph 2," which Adam picked up on a whim during our Costco run last night. It was a cute enough movie with lots of real-world references that made us chuckle and a particularly amusing take on the behind-the-scenes lives of the Disney princesses. So with all of the laughs in the rearview, I was a little surprised to find myself tearing up toward the film's end.

* If you haven't seen it and want to be surprised, stop reading now! *

So what got me? One of the movie's big focal points was the close friendship shared by Vanellope and Ralph. As the flick drew to a close, it became clear that they were going to follow different paths in life and be physically separated from one another. Ralph really struggled with letting Vanellope go, but was eventually comforted by the thought that he could trust her to continue being his friend in spite of the distance. (And they did indeed make it work.)

I admittedly feel kind of silly writing this, but given the last six months of my life, that message got me right in the heart. Our paths meander through all sorts of places and every now and then, we have the privilege of sharing the road with particularly special people who enrich our lives in extraordinary ways. Those people are so special, in fact, that even when our paths eventually twist in different directions, they still stay "with" us.

It was just a little reminder to me that different isn't necessarily bad. It's just... different. And for that truth --and for the handful of people who still choose to walk with me from a distance-- I'm thankful.