Every new stage in life brings an entirely new definition of who we are. When we are in elementary school, we begin developing our first real relationships outside of our families. These relationships begin with ease, as many things do in the innocence of childhood. We begin to grow attached to those surrounding us in the playground, but the following year these friendships may change with no emotional stress. Just as easily, the same school friends we loved in first grade, may be replaced in second grade when you are given a new homeroom. In middle school, our relationships become more sincere, as we begin evolving into young adults whose emotions are more complex. While these friendships may not have enough foundation to last into high school and beyond, there are a few that do. There are friendships that begin in high school or college that go on to be life lasting relationships, but the friendships we make and keep in middle school prove to be the strongest ones of all.
I became friends with Demi when we were in sixth grade. We were 11, but it did not take long for us to realize that we were going to be friends for life. She was always confident, and I was happy to have found someone who could make me come out of my own shell. Demi was there for my first "boyfriend." You know, the one you only waved to in the hallway and she was there for my first kiss, obviously during a game of spin the bottle. We shared our braces phase, the ongoing style trends of Hollister and Abercrombie, and we became teammates on the lacrosse field. She assisted me with my first goal, and six years later I would assist her for her 100th. I am constantly in awe at what an incredible person she is becoming.
Alex moved to my town in the beginning of eighth grade, and I invited her to sit at my lunch table on her first day. Instantly, she became a part of the friend group between Demi and myself. Alex and I had no shame in admitting we were one of the many tweens obsessed with Justin Bieber. We even went to his concert in Madison Square Garden, and I still have a Teen Bop magazine with his face on the cover. We were inseparable, and I don't know how I made it to eighth grade without her. She is truly one of those people who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. From 13 to 19, we have both changed into entirely new people, and yet we are still the same as we were in the cafeteria on her first day.
Demi and Alex have been my friends since middle school, and I believe that's what makes our bond so unique. Is our relationship perfect? Of course not. We may go months without seeing each other or days without speaking, but I know that they are forever linked to me. The friendships that withstand the roller coaster that is puberty and growing up, are the ones that eventually need no work at all to last. Friendships that begin at such a young age are often forgotten and those people become just another friend on Facebook, who occasionally pops up on your timeline. If you are able to still have the friends you had when you were 11 at 20, then there is nothing that should stand in the way of making those people a part of your life forever. Demi, Alex, and I often refer to each other as soul mates. And while it's cheesy, I believe it to be true. If you are lucky enough to have met your soulmate friend in middle school, keep a hold of them, because no one will understand the person you are today better than them.
