As I grow older, I find that I enjoy reflecting on the past with a certain reverence. Revisiting the roots of my life occasionally is like taking a refreshing spiritual shower. The recollections leave me with a greater insight as to who I am today and how I got here, and a gratitude for the people who helped me stumble through life.

An old cliché states that “you are what you eat,” and that may be true to an extent, from a physical viewpoint. However, I believe that I am what I am today, mainly because of the people who were in my life. I remember the countless relationships through the years that helped to shape my values, my perspectives and my very identity. Through their understanding and compassion, I learned to cope with failure and loss, as well as success. They were friends who cried with me and laughed with me. They stripped me of loneliness and gave me the enduring treasures of love and friendship.

For many years I have used the Christmas season to pay my respects to the many friends who have become part of me. Years ago I stopped sending Christmas cards and opted instead to make personal phone calls into the past – a contrived time machine of sorts. The dozen or so calls I make each year are to people who were once close but have drifted away with passing years and expanding miles. I pick a few each year who date back several decades since the last contact. Powerful Internet search capability and low-cost phone services available today make the time adventure practical and affordable.