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Old Friends {Christy edition}

Sometimes life has a way of demanding that we pay attention to what is important.  And the older I get, the more I appreciate how our relationships come to define us - and give our lives meaning.

And so it was this past weekend, which found my family and I in Montreat (again) for a retreat.  As I was walking into the dining hall to enjoy lunch - I recognized a familiar face in line behind me.  I asked her name and she responded, "Christy..and you are Ben Graham!"  It was magical.

You see, this "Christy" was a great friend of mine when we were in high school back in 1994 (and was in Montreat for a women's retreat).  But back in the day, she was an incredible kid - introducing me to UNCG (where she took guitar lessons), and teaching me how to drive a stick shift in her (totally rad) green CJ-5 jeep.  We lost touch after we went off to college (me to UNCG...), and this weekend was the first time I have seen her since then.  I introduced her to Jessica and the kids - and we caught up.

So, seeing her again (in Montreat, of all places) was a reminder of how lucky I have been to be surrounded by amazing people at each stage of life.   And how I have, and continue to draw inspiration from great people around me.

Lucky.

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