the value of relationships

I finally finished watching an anime series called K-ON. It was a very enjoyable show, but took me a while to finish because it is a slow-pace "slice of life" show. I like "slice of life" because it usually has a good focus on characters' personalities, their growth, and interaction among characters. But I just cannot watch too many episodes consecutively since it is a bit slow.

I have to say the final episode (24) of seasons 2 was fantastic. Definitely an anime gem. Basically, this is about a group of high school girls who are part of musical club, and 4 of their members are graduating so this is the episode of the graduation ceremony. So there are several farewell scenes with their homeroom teacher, their underclassmen, and the musical club's only member who is left. There is some sadness since people are leaving, but at the same time there is this warm feeling of gladness because they were able to be part of their lives.

This made me think about the different relationships (not in the context of exclusive boy-girl) I have developed throughout all my years. And I have been privileged to meet really great people that has impacted my life in positive ways. As I looked back, there has been many farewells at different stages of my life:

• high school graduation
• leaving to Canada for University
• graduating from University
• friends leaving the city

Recently, a very old friend from high school emailed me, and I haven't talked to him for almost 12 years. I was really happy to reply to his email, and I really hope to catch up with him soon in person. But there are many people I have met in those stages that I haven't seen for a while, and there are probably some that I might not ever see again.

My point is that, with the little life I have lived, I realized that I will not always be able to be part of people's lives because it is inevitable that some people will move to different places, have a different "calling", etc. Once they live in another city, it is really hard to be connected (despite the available technology) unless the two parties made a big effort of it. 

So it is sad that there are many farewells. But I am glad that even for a short time period, we were able to build a relationship and enjoy each other's company. And I think that I should really treasure more the time I spend with close friends, to really made good memories out of it, because life is so dynamic nowadays that some might move on in life to a totally different direction than yours.

I am reflecting upon this as there are a group of people graduating from the UW (specifically from CCF). Actually most people who are graduating are people who were frosh when I graduated, and so they get some sort of favoritism haha. It is really a great joy to be a small part of their lives while they were in Waterloo. Though it is sad that they are leaving, the privilege to witness the work of God transforming int heir lives is an outstanding joy.

As a family of Christ, we have the assurance that we are not just friends, but also brothers and sisters in Christ, and that there is a deeper relationships rooted in the love of God. So we have the assurance to see each other again in our heavenly home, and also to know that God is working in each of us. 

But yeah, we gotta really take initiative to value these relationships and nourish them.