2010

Today, we said good bye to Ryan as he flew back to America. We'd woke early to make sure we wouldn't miss his flight and arrived at the airport with time to spare. We decided to wander around the limited food court and look for a drink; sure enough, we found comfort in the familiar golden arches.

I wandered back from the counter cherishing my kaleidoscopic happy meal cup - since adults aren't supposed to drink a 'small,' and certainly aren't to have fun, and we sat down. I had ordered an L&P which I've become particularly attached to recently. Coke is very sweet once you chill out on it - L&P is perfectly crisp. As I sucked the little childrens' cup dry, I was surprised as a little boy approached us. Initially I thought it was Ryan's host brother, who I hadn't met. However, he carefully placed a small business card on the table between Carey and I.

I didn't really look much at him; I wondered what the card was. He told Carey that his sister wanted him to ring her, leaving the card with her name and number on it. He asked where we were from then disappeared. Carey tried to look unfazed and continue talking, but it was clear his mind was reeling and he was clearly flattered. After a long, open-mouthed pause, he continued our conversation.

I found it all pretty brave. It's not often you hear of people asking for numbers of complete strangers - at least, at airports and in real life. I imagine that she watched charily from a distance, feeling vulnerable as the rest of her family gauged his reception. More than that, the anticipation of the phone call, or text, would be long and agonising with thoughts of rejection. Bonus points to her.

As soon as this stranger had started to make in roads into our lives, a friend began to make tracks to leave. Ryan arrived at the airport just as the excitement was dying down; we rushed down to meet him. We gave him a couple of small gifts; some jandals and a small silver necklace with New Zealand punched out of a dog tag. His flight was some three hours away, but it was much closer to a single breath of a very long sleep. We grabbed lunch and chatted away. Sure enough, he left through the departure gate and we waved good bye. I wondered if I would see him again.

Later that night at church, I was talking to a friend. A few weeks ago, he really had wanted to get to know a girl he had met at university. He had persistently tried to get in contact with her, but for whatever reason; whether or not she had rejected him, was too busy or the messages never got through, she hadn't responded. Understandably, he was a little sad about the whole thing.

But I don't think he should be. I think, in light of the day's events, it is definitely better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Despite fear of losing a good friend, a prospective boy friend at the airport or a girl you know at university, it's better to have embraced the opportunity than to opt for a dull and unemotional journey through life.