As we move into May, the month of graduations, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, I am reminded of how many circles we find ourselves involved in as we go through this life. My April was filled with moving in and out of those circles of life.

On April 1 we were in Lincoln, having attended a banquet the night before on East Campus. Friends from church had moved to an assisted living facility the week before and we stopped to visit them and give them communion as Hubby is an elder at our church. Sadly, we were only able to give the wife communion as the husband had been moved into the memory care wing and was unable to visit with us anymore. We sat and hugged on him for several minutes and then left with heavy hearts.

Two days later he was placed on hospice care and on Easter morning he went home to heaven. The next week I stopped to see his wife as another function had brought me to town and we discussed the circles that had brought us together and at least for a while would be separating us.

The next week I was in Omaha for a much happier occasion – cutting cake for the wedding of a high school friend’s son. Within their circle of friends and family at the reception I found several more circles that interconnected with my family and friends. It was especially heartwarming to hug on the groom’s grandmother, who had been a second mother to many of us high school girls when we gathered for activities at their home.

A day later I was basking in the circle of friendship with my Nebraska Press Women peeps. We shared our challenges with keeping newspapers relevant in a digital age, discussed various technologies that both help and hinder our business and caught up on our families. Though far too short that weekend helped provide some balance to the hectic week ahead for most of us.

Last week we honored two dear friends who will be retiring from their full-time jobs and moving into a new chapter and circle of life that will allow them to be with beloved children and grandchildren more often and to go back to some of the volunteer and lay ministry work they haven’t had the time to pursue for nearly a decade.

Health issues have also swirled around for a number of friends or family members and the prayer circles we are involved in have been kept busy. A friend’s child is battling leukemia, another friend is recovering from multiple injuries after being thrown from a horse and still others face planned and some unplanned surgeries to repair broken and worn-out parts.

Finally, there are the end-of-life circles, some anticipated and others thrust upon us suddenly. Saturday was yet another trip to Omaha, this time to attend a memorial service for a college friend’s 28-year-old son who had died suddenly of unknown causes in March. They have yet to receive full closure as they are from the greater Los Angeles area and are waiting for an autopsy. Non-emergency cases are taking from 6-8 months to reach a medical examiner. In this case the tragedy allowed our circles to reconnect and we will be the better for that.

Sunday it was back to Lexington for a happier occasion as I took pictures for our church’s confirmation class. Five young people gave their statements of faith and became full voting members of the congregation, completing a circle of instruction they have been involved with, some for at least eight years. However, as circles never end, it was noted they now embark on a faith journey that will continue all of their lives.

So, wherever life’s circles take you this month, remember they never really end. While they may widen and ebb, bring you closer or pull you in other directions they will always keep you moving through that greatest circle of all, the Circle of Life.