The golden thread that ties

This year has seen three of my closest friends in Lausanne leave, and all the goodbyes have made me reflect on the absolute gift that is friendship.

I remember reading a quote "Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world"

and it rang true for me - I have very special friends in Johannesburg, Kenya, America, Lausanne, Canada and England and as much as I wish we all lived in the same place, I am so grateful that we are never far from eachothers hearts and minds. Some of these friends are new, some I have known almost my whole life and they enrich my life in unique and precious ways. They have journeyed with me and shaped who I am today and without them I know I would be a lesser version of myself.

I have not enjoyed all the goodbyes that have marked the end of friends living in the same city as me, but they have made me realize something important - I'm so grateful that I have had something to be sad about. It means that those people are important to me and that we shared something meaningful. Thankfully, the geographical distance between me and friends does not mark the end of the friendship - it is just the start of a new one that takes on a new flavor and new joy.

So, to all my sweet friends out there, know that you are loved and appreciated, know that you are bringing light wherever you go, and know that this heart in Lausanne has a special place just for you!