“The strong bond of friendship is not always a balanced equation; friendship is not always about giving and taking in equal shares. Instead, friendship is grounded in a feeling that you know exactly who will be there for you when you need something, no matter what or when.” ~ Simon Sinek

Do you remember when you were in high school? When you and your best friend(s) promised to remain “best friends until the end?” Did you guys keep that promise? Even after you finished your high school journeys and went off to college? I really hope you did. A lot of people say you lose your high school buddies at some point after graduation, and sadly this is true.

At my alma mater, there were friendships in every square inch of the building. From pairs to groups, I admired all of the fun they seemed to have. I was sure they were going to remain tight after our high school careers were over. I was wrong. Once college began, everyone had found new friends and pushed their old ones into the shadows. I’ll see someone make small talk with an old pal and they’ll politely reminisce about the “good times” they had in high school as if it no longer means anything.

All my life, friendship was something I deeply valued, especially since making friends was extremely difficult to me. Whenever I managed to make a simple acquaintance, I made sure I didn't screw up the connection. The thought of losing friends terrified me, and it still does. Of course, most of the friendships I had made over the years didn’t last. People drift apart. Life gets in the way. People come, and people go, but they don’t have to do the latter.

When it comes to my high school BFF and I, we didn’t fall into the common trend. Even after we both graduated, we still managed to maintain our friendship. Circumstances did interfere sometimes though. She moved away, I stayed here. She made some new friends, and so did I. She’s traveled abroad with little communication, and I simply waited for her to get back.

There have even been times where we got so busy, we wouldn’t talk for weeks, but once the talking started back up, it was as if nothing happened (except the interesting stories in between that we just HAVE to share each other). We didn’t let any of this create any problems. If anything, it’s made us closer than what we were in high school.

Just because you go on different paths and meet new people along the way, it doesn’t mean you have to put your once cherished friendships in the corner. If the bond truly matters to you, you’ll make an effort to maintain contact. Don’t get me wrong; people change, and differences collide, and sometimes putting the friendships behind is best. However, you could also make the changes work if you really wanted to. Just do what's best for the both of you.

Shout out to all of the long lasting friendships out there! They're rare. Keep them close.