sights for sore eyes

there is an expression here in the south that goes, "you are a sight for sore eyes" which is redneck for it is good to see you, that you are a friend, and you hold a special place in my life.
after a 5 game road trip with the smokies, i was sent to a nearby town to take a middle school to chattanooga for the day. this was to be my 6th day in a row to be in chattanooga and i wanted a change of scenery. don't get me wrong, chattanooga is one of my favorite cities but even too much of the good stuff gets old.
when i pulled up to the school and the kids were getting on, a man walked up to me and i paid no attention until i saw who it was. "remember me"? yes, i sure did!!!
mike is the principal at this school and 2 years ago i took him and some of his pupils to d.c. and had a great time. he is one of those people that his kids all know he is a good man and cares about them very much. i don't know about his administrative abilities, but when i see the respect the kids show him, you know he is well liked and admired.
after i looked up and saw him, i recognized him and without hesitation i hugged him, spilling his coffee!!! it was so good to see him and being around him you instantly feel some connection.
we went to several of the top places (tourist) and the day was a good one for everybody.
as i said in a previous post, seeing an old friend and getting to spend some time with them is time well spent. spending time with mike is no exception. but, being in the moment, i had to think about my life.
if i died tomorrow and had time to reflect on my amazing life, i would have a heart full of significant moments in my life to carry with me from seeing 3 of my children baptized (by God's saving grace), my parents, things i have seen and done, and, the people i have met.
life is a pretty good ride. i have learned that if you care about someone, tell them and tell them often. if you love them, tell them and tell them often. a friend once told me "if you love someone, tell them before someone else does" and that is good advice.
until next time...