So, when did the “drop by” become the “drive by?”  For years our family ventured multiple times a year to the mountains of western North Carolina.  Though most of our trips were with the kids there was one particular trip where my wife and I found this quaint lodge nestled in the pristine mountainside known as the Millstone Inn.  Over the twenty years or so since our discovery of the Millstone we, along with many of our friends, have shared some incredibly special times as this retreat became an oasis amongst the noise and distractions of life.  Thinking back I can even remember on many of our trips we would anticipate with great affection rounding the last corner down the mountain as we proceeded towards the roadside sign that would announce whether or not there were rooms available.  Curiously, even when the sign indicated there was “no vacancy” we would still elect to drop by instead of driving right on by.  The very fact that there may not have been room for us didn’t deter us from still dropping in to see the owners and reacquaint our senses with the good memories and good times that we had shared there.  Recounting this fond memory from my past has caused me to realize that this isn’t the way it is for me at home.  Perhaps you can relate.  Why is it that we have forsaken the “drop by” choosing instead to drive by the homes that contain the friendships that have meant so much to us over the years?  Why do we turn our back in a sense on the countless hours that each person has invested in the well being of the other?  Is it that we don’t treasure the depths of relationships that we once had?  Is it that the fondness of the memories have become more like lost dreams?   Have the colors of our life become so subdued and clouded over by having “no time” for one another anymore?  There sure seems an abundance of answers and excuses we could claim as the reason with many being legit.  Perhaps though we need to rethink how we use our internal GPS.  Rather than program it to find the quickest way home so we can find the comforts of escaping to our nest we need to reprogram it with the addresses of our friends.  Then perhaps we can reacquaint ourselves with the timeless comforts found in friendship.  Let’s each remember that with authentic friendship, that friendship born out of the crucible of doing life together the sign should always read “Vacancy.”  Peace.