pictures

i love them. for all that they can capture-whether it be planned or spontaneous-they immortalize a moment in time and take you back every time you look at them. you remember the time, the place, the atmosphere, the emotions surrounding that moment, and you can practically re-live that experience again.

after looking through a friend's recently updated pictures and video clips from last year, it really made my heart ache for all the things that were a part of my life in the last four years. not to say that i've lost friends-God gave me friendships that will last through eternity- but some were meant to exist only within that context.

i miss that life i had in waterloo. lccf, the spontaneity and freedom, the many firsts. through serving God and studying together, i learned how to share my life deeply with people other than my family.

however much i miss those times in university, i know that they cannot be replicated no matter how much i wish for it. the dynamics and connections have changed since, and though we can try, they can never return to their original state.

that's probably why i cherish photos so much-because pictures stay the same, regardless of time and changing circumstances. but i think i've come to accept the way things are now, which likely played a major part in dismantling my homesickness. even after being home for 2.5 weeks, i didn't get homesick (as i expected) when i returned to the west coast. for those who've known me since first year, that's a huge deal.

it's strange to watch those videos again..it's a taste of home, and yet it's not anymore-it just resides in the back of our minds now, but i'll always remember.