you always knew
but somehow you forgot in the day to day
or failed to notice or at least acknowledge
that you lucked out, big time, in the friends and family department
it’s not until you’re at your going away party
sitting back, watching them
having a drink, having a laugh
that you realize how precious these relationships are
each one unique, from different parts and places and times in your life
but they all fit together perfectly
the ease, the familiarity, the inside jokes that follow you and them from party to party and how they keep coming back in various ways but they’re always somehow funny
and at the end of the night come the long hugs goodbye
the good lucks and the see you laters
and the come see me if you’re ever on that side of the pond
and they say they will and you hope they will
and you know it’s not goodbye
it never really is
but damn if you’re not going to miss them
and you know you’ll make new friends over there
but you wonder if it will ever be like this
