One of my goals for the month of April is to take some time each week and reconnect with old friends I haven’t seen/reached out to in a while. I mentioned how easy it is to get comfortable with the circle of people around you, but I wanted to make sure I stay connected with those friends who mean just as much to me.

So on Tuesday, I ended up spending almost an hour on the phone catching up with one of my college buddies and groomsmen, Andy Cartee. Andy is one of those friends that even though we don’t talk as much as we use to, as soon as we catch up it’s like no time has passed. Those friends/people in your life are few and far between.

College Seniors – 1998

I’m so very grateful for Andy. In fact, when my mom passed away 5 years ago, he was one of the first people I called. We probably hadn’t talked in 6 months, but he was immediately one of the people I knew I wanted to call.

Friends/people like Andy don’t come around very often. It’s why he will always be one of my best friends. Talking to Andy on Tuesday continued to confirm this for me. I’m so grateful for people like that in my life. And I’m so glad I reached out to him. It reminded me that I need to be better about staying in touch with those people who will be lifelong friends. 

In fact, I saw this with Rachel this past Sunday. We celebrated her parents’ birthdays (they share the same birthday!) and several family friends came over to their house. One of Rachel’s oldest friends, Kaylan, was there with her family. I’m pretty sure Rachel and Kaylan haven’t seen each other in over a year. I watched the two of them catch up and it made my heart happy. I know how much Kaylan means to Rachel. I believe Kaylan will be one of those lifelong friends for my wife.