Because of facebook...

two old friends have found me. One I recognized instantly. He was one of my best friends in high school. He was levelheaded, intelligent, athletic and confident in who he was. I was pretty much the opposite, but for some reason the friendship worked.

I moved after high school but we kept in contact via Pony Express several times a year. I went to visit him at college once. After that we lost touch because we both started dating people and got married within a year of one another.

I always wondered how he was and where he ended up. Apparently he wondered the same. We've spent the better part of a month catching up through e-mails. It's been great. Still our lives and personalities are different. He has one son graduating high school this year. His wife is a teacher and he lives the show "Friday Night Lights" because he's the football coach and athletic director for a small Texas town. He pretty much lives life routinely. Then there's me, going 100 miles an hour everyday with four boys and a husband whose gone a great deal. Still opposites!

It was so great to catch up with him. He made a world of difference in my crazy teenage years, and I had made a difference in his.

Saturday I got a message from someone whose name I didn't recognize. Her message said "Oh I can't believe I found you. You were my friend during my most intense teen years. How are you?" Well... I had NO clue who she was at first, then...I remembered. I dug out the year book and found her. She was always a sweet girl with the biggest smile and gentle eyes. Apparently I had a positive impact on her too. I was embarrassed and ashamed that I hadn't remembered her.

Sunday I posted a status update on facebook that read "Andrea has learned that you just never know."

One friend asked "Know what?" I said "what impact you have on people and how far that may carry into their lives." A friend e-mailed me this poem. It sums up the experience well.

You Never Know (anonymous)

You never know when someone
may catch a dream from you.
You never know when a little word
or something that you may do,
may open up a window
of a mind that seeks the light.
The way you live may not matter at all,
but you never know, it might.

And just in case it could be
that another's life through you,
might change for the better
with a broader, brighter view.
It seems it might be worth a try
at pointing the way to right.
Of course it may not matter at all,
but then again it might.


I'm sure we've all had experiences like mine, with or without the benefit of facebook. I hope there are more people out there who I've touched positively. I know there are plenty of people out there who've made profound impacts on my life. Some came in for a fleeting moment, some for long periods of time. Either way, I'm reminded that footprints can be permanent, and I want mine to be positive.

Remember to walk softly-- forget the big stick, instead...leave footprints worthy of the King.