A Long Dead Tree, originally uploaded by Eleven 22.
This weekend we attended a Fox Valley FCC event in Yorkville, IL. It was at a forest preserve that we have driven by at least fifty times but have never visited.
Among the usual suspects there were a few new faces in the crowd. I am always impressed when new people come to a gathering, its not an easy thing to do.
Adoption is hard enough, going to an event with people who have adopted can be a daunting thing to those waiting to adopt. I know I was a bit hesitant, Karin was not, but I think all women have an innate ability for social networking.
One of the new faces was a gent with a really nice 35mm camera, I saw him in passing as I arrived and met his wife and daughter who immediately announced that she was four (again, notice the ability to the female form to socially network! My son, six, was hiding behind mom).
After making the rounds I decided to go introduce myself to her husband, we shook hands and I learned his name was Jeff, he looked vaguely familiar.
He asked my last name and seemed to be thinking. “Did you go to school at Saint..” as he started to talk it clicked. St. Edward Central High School, classmate, Jeff, Orazinski? I stumbled…
Okrasinski he said with a smile. Wow, it had been almost twenty years since I had last seen Jeff. The funny thing was I had been perusing facebook not even a week earlier and saw his picture. What a coincidence and a small world that we would both find ourselves at a China adoption event.
On a nature walk with the kids we both stopped to take a look at this tree — it was completely dead and surrounded by a vibrant green forest, it provided a stark contrast to its surrounding.
Looking at this photo I couldn’t shake the feeling that this tree was symbolic of so many past friendships that have withered out and died over the years.
The surrounding forest represents my life, full, thriving and connected with so many people. I can’t help but think how things might have been different if I had kept up with the friends that this tree represents.
Tags: Adoption Event, China Adoption, Coincidence, Faces In The Crowd, Fcc, forest preserve, Fox Valley, Friendships, Funny Thing, Gent, Green Forest, High School Classmate, Innate Ability, karin, Nature Walk, New Faces, Smile, Social Networking, Stark Contrast, tree, Twenty Years, Usual SuspectsYou must be logged in to post a comment.
