Splitting Up

Today, I witnessed the end of an era.
My post-college roommates and I moved in together almost 3 years ago, and while people have come and gone, there has been a core of three of us.  Last spring, when I moved in with the Sherwoods, Rachel and Taylor moved into an apartment together, but I was still pretty much part of the family.  I had the spare key, I slept on their couch after late nights of watching the Bachelor, I napped on their couch between shifts of work and babysitting, and I invited myself to eat anything I could find.  We had dinner parties and craft parties and no reason at all parties.  Earlier this spring, Rach moved home, and Taylor has been living in the apartment by herself.  I still found myself there quite often, making dinner with Tay and other friends, watching movies, or participating in a little jam session.
Tomorrow is the last day of the lease on the apartment.  Rachel is in town this weekend, and the three of us and one of Taylor's new roommates spent the afternoon cleaning, as well as sorting out the last few things in the apartment.
Who ended up with that corkscrew?
I can't remember whose jars those are, but I'm really hoping they're mine!
Hey, there's that pink hand towel I bought when I came to Whitworth.  That's OLD!
What are we going to do with the collection of fuzzy posters we colored over the years?
That last question was a bit a of heart-breaker.  Taylor, the fuzzy poster expert in our little group, somehow managed to acquire a big poster at least once a semester and we would leave it out on the coffee table for anyone to color.  As ridiculous of an art form as they are, they represent something beautiful about the life we created as a house, as a group of friends, as a community.  Rach and Tay and I each picked out a fuzzy poster to keep today.  They serve as monuments to the time we spent sharing our lives with each other and the wider community in which we found ourselves.  Time spent praying around Rachel's big dining room table, joining hands with whoever happened to be there and asking Jesus to be present as well.  Time spent watching Disney movies, and baking cookies, and hosting birthday parties and bridal showers.  Time spent caring for friends and caring for each other.  Time spent arguing over groceries or cleaning.  Time spent letting go of whatever grocery or cleaning issue we were so worked up about earlier.  Time spent singing Lady Gaga at the top of our lungs.  This list could go on for quite a while.  The beautiful thing about today is that while we have to split up all of our stuff, there's no way we can split up our lives.  The impact Rachel and Taylor have had on me is now ingrained into who I am and who I am becoming.  My impact on their lives has become part of their identity as well.  We may not always be close, but the truths we learned about life and ourselves during our time together will always be part of us.  This is the beauty, and challenge of relationships.  People tend to stick.  That's why I am so thankful for these wonderful girls, and that God gave us grace to live together and learn from one another.  Here's to you, Rach and Tay!  And here's to the God who created us to be relational, and made a way for us to connect with one another in spite of our brokenness.

wonder and gratitude