It’s only natural to sometimes look back at your life and wonder “what if”? We all have questions we ask ourselves from time to time when evaluating where we are in our lives. Things like, “What if I had taken that job? What if I had taken that leap and moved to that city? Or what if things had worked out with so-and-so?” Where would we be now? Would we be as happy? Or happier? Less Happy? Would there be a sense of completeness to our lives that we might be lacking or is that just the insecurities of the past creeping up on us? 

   I’m a firm believer in things happening for a reason and everything working out how it is supposed to. I also believe people come in and out of your lives for a reason and it is up to you what you do with those relationships. One of my favorite examples of a friend from the past re-emerging in my present is my dear friend Jenna. Jenna and I were friends, (although not super close ones) in college, we had circles of friends who hung out. We knew LOTS of people in common. Fast forward about 10 years when Jenna got a job back here in Potsdam teaching dance at SUNY Potsdam in the new Performing Arts Center. I sent her an email asking her to dinner and she immediately accepted. That first night we spent 5 hours gabbing and catching up over margaritas at The Cantina in Potsdam and it felt like no time had passed and even better, like I finally had another a really great gal friend here in town. (Up until that point, I had an exact total of one.) Jenna quickly became one of my best and most trusted friends and I love her like a sister. She is family to me and while she has since moved to Buffalo for another exciting job opportunity, she is always close to my heart and constantly on my mind. 

    I’ve had the good fortune to reconnect with a few other friends lately too and it’s always a treat when you can do that. My friend Christie from high school and I have been talking on the phone about some exciting new opportunities and in the process have gotten to catch up on the goings on in our day to day lives. And my friends Andrew and Danielle from college have both been in touch as of late which has been a lovely surprise. I look forward to seeing more of them in the future. 

    I think especially with this past weekend being my college’s Alumni Weekend and my Mom receiving an award for excellence in teaching was a powerful moment for me. She commented on how she was prepared to follow the path she chose right from when she entered college directly out of high school. She’s always been a music teacher and a really wonderful one. But that path was always laid out for her. She had mentors and teachers along the way guiding her and helping her achieve her goals and when she started teaching, she really never stopped. 

   This isn’t necessarily the case with the people of my generation. We are more likely to move away from home, switch cities, and change careers more than once. We are also less likely to meet and marry our high school or college sweethearts as was once more the norm, and may even marry more than one person in our lifetime. Our families may be blended and start much later than when our parents had us. And this is all ok. It’s all very normal, because it’s part of the journey life has taken us on. No matter what your life’s path is, the most important thing is to not have regrets. Do your best, give everything you can a try and remember that cliché adage is so very true. You only live once. And it’s quite literally your duty to live it in a really GOOD WAY.