School is a war zone. It has been this day since day one on the playground. We thought growing up would solve all of our problems, but it only seemed to get harder. Honestly, it's taken awhile to realize that it's not the problems that you face, but the people that help you get through them that matter most, and for that, we thank our filler friends.
A filler friend is someone who is only in your life for a period of time. They're the friends we used to spend every waking minute with that just kind of faded away. Now it's awkward to even say hi to them while passing in the hallways or on the quad on the way to class. Filler friends aren't bad at all. We've all had friends we've lost, and we've all been the friend who has faded away, too.
Filler friends are not bad to have, by any means. They're actually very common, and everyone goes through losing and making new friends. All people grow out of their friends from year to year. Filler friends are definitely a big part of starting college, but that's what this experience is all about. You are constantly meeting new people you mesh with and people you don't go so well with.
Although it stinks not being able to say you've had the same friends since middle school, there are definitely many reasons for why you don't. We can see how we grow older by the people we surround ourselves with. Filler friends are a pretty accurate representation of the way we grew up. Many different personalities are filled in past friendships and importantly, filler friends help us appreciate the few friends who have stuck with us through it all.
Filler friends were definitely important for the time they spent being there for us. Whether they're still around or not, they did help you at some point in your life and it's important to not be upset because they're gone, but to be happy they served as a part of you growing up. Filler friends teach us it is perfectly OK to branch out and meet new people. It's not good to drop your friends, but sometimes the natural course of life causes people to drift from each other.
As we continue the struggle through school and life in general, there will be many more people who will come and go. It is important, however, to acknowledge not the fact they aren't in your life anymore, but that they made a difference in your life and at one point made you happy.
