Absence Makes the Heart Grow... Lonelier

Traveling used to be a more frequent activity in my job, but since Nicole and I have been married, it hasn't been required in my current position. Until this past week at least.

I tried compressing my schedule as much as possible so I would only have to be away from home for no more than two nights. And I was able to do so successfully. But two nights felt like an eternity. Okay, that's exaggerating the situation a little bit, but it did feel really, really, really, realllllllly long.

You don't even realize how much you grow accustomed to having your best friend with you all the time. Someone with whom to hang out and talk and even sleep. And it's not just a matter of familiarlarity. It's a matter of preference. You want to be with that person all the time (or at least almost all the time). And when you're not with them, things get lonely.

So while some may say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, I think it's bogus. I already knew how much I loved Nicole before I left and, even when I am with her, I'm growing fonder and falling more in love with her daily. Absence just made my heart grow lonelier. And I realized, once again, how much God designed us all for relationships... especially our most important earthly relationships.

I'll save my actual travel adventure stories for another day and leave everything at that. But let's just say I'm happy to be home. Or more accurately, I'm happy to be back with Nicole, my best friend and truest love.