I don't walk among the stones as much as I used to, but I still spend a lot of time researching. Genealogy brought to me many cousins I would never have known. Finding graves of my own kin, and those of others, is a gratifying connection to the past. I've learned that, as exciting as finding previously unknown members of family, one should keep expectations low. Though they are relatives, I've not shared their pasts, nor they mine. The connection is there but it may be weak. For me, just emails and some stories of their lives are sufficient. I know not all had great childhoods while growing up, some may still be struggling. I hope my interest in their lives is taken as a friendly gesture, certainly there is no intent on my part to pry or insert myself into their current affairs.
I am also saddened by the passing of those few I became close to just by interacting on this site. I had hoped to visit them one day but, for some, that will never happen. Carolyn Mackey Byrum is especially missed. She had a great passion for documenting cemeteries in the west Texas and eastern New Mexico area.
Genealogy is not a thing for everyone, and I respect that. The biggest concern with those of us who are obsessed by it is to not live in the past. Our present will be the past soon enough, so make sure not to ignore the life you have today.