Living Rarefied

I close friend, closer than I ever act or will be able to convey to her, is moving this week. She is headed to Colorado to be in charge of middle school ministry. I have been blessed for over 2 years now to have her at my side with the Young Life ministry I am involved with. Almost fittingly, we participated in a Flood event from our church. It was just over 2 years ago we met at a Flood event in a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Shortly after that we were driving up to Castaway Club in Detroit Lakes, MN to be counselors for a junior high camp. From day 1 she dove right in and gave it her all. I expect the lucky folks in Boulder will experience the same passion I saw in her 2 years ago…

The feeling part or un-feeling part comes in the picture because it is one of those situations you aren't sure it is real, but 1 minute after it happens, you will feel it. I am in a spot now where I am tremendously happy for her and excited for her new journey and am trying my best to keep my chin up. Her mom and I were joking on Saturday night that it is weird now cause we know she is leaving but don't believe it. She has always came back from trips and said "I am moving there" but has never done it. So in a way it feels a little like one of those situations. But we laughed at the fact that once she leaves we will probably need a weekly support group for those going through withdrawl from her physical presence…

I think it is similar to when we dropped off my sister to college in 1996. There was so much celebration going on in the days leading up to the goodbye that things are all great and you forget about the fact when I wake up for school that dreadful Tuesday after Labor Dar, she wouldn't be there in the kitchen to eat breakfast with me…Except this time, it is when that first YL club comes around, it wont be the same. When Sunday nights come around, after church she won't be there for me to joke around with and push eachother's buttons that we know so well. When I am having problems/issues, my usual partner for emergency Caribou's won't be able to show up. When I need accountability from the person who knows me better than anybody else on this great big planet, it will have to be on the phone, email or through a spendy flight to Colorado… She won't be around to watch Brian Regan on Comedy Central over and over and over so that we can watch it wherever we go cause we know it so well. Our domestics will be long distance now, I wont have her to slap me in the face with reality if I get out of line. The list could go on, but soon it would only be me and her that would understand it…

Oh how lucky they will be in Boulder… They have no idea about the return they will get from investing in her time and abilities…

Buckaroo, thanks for it all… It's not over…

-Partner

Ethan Feeling