Every song ends...is that any reason not to enjoy the music?

"it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."--Tennyson

This quote has gotten me to thinking lately.  people come and go from our lives.  its a part of growing up.  me having people all over the country [and even the world] has made me realize this even more.  just because people move away from you or you move away from them, does that mean that you should close yourself off while they are in front of you?  i feel myself doing that a lot of times.  i feel myself letting someone get close to me, find out who i really am...then i have this HUGE desire to shut them off.  I guess its because i think that if i don't let them in, that i wont get hurt...well, the problem with that is.  what kind of life am i going to live if i don't have people in it?  i know that God gives each of us gifts to touch other people's lives in some way.  we each have our own abilities.  if i shut myself off, not only will people not get a piece of my gift, but i wont get any of theirs either.  its not fair to either of us.  so, not only will i deny myself something in this life, but i may deny someone else theirs.  just a few thoughts.