Distance. It separates places, objects and worst of all, it separates people.

Whether it was your family member, best friend, boyfriend/girlfriend or just your friend in general, you have most likely experienced losing someone you deeply care about. When referring to a loss, it does not have to necessarily mean you lose someone to death. A loss could simply refer to someone who was once a part of your life and is not anymore. This can sting more than losing someone to a death. See, when you lose someone because of death, there is no chance at having them in your life again. As sad as that is, it is true. When you only lose someone out of your life, on the other hand, it can leave remnants of hope of being reunited. Whether for one or both people, it still makes it harder to move on.

Sometimes you choose to distance yourself because you need to in order to make yourself happy. Other times, when it is not your doing, it can be a hard pill to swallow. There is not always someone to blame, but rather there can be something to blame: time. Time is out of everyone's control. No matter what happens, the clock keeps ticking, and the days continue passing by. Time can be an ally, but it can just as easily be an enemy. It has been said that people don't change, but I do not find this to be true. People change with time becoming wiser, less susceptible to make the same mistakes and more self-aware. Each day you discover new things about yourself that you did not know before. Some people find it nearly impossible to wrap their heads around the idea that time not only changes people, but it also distances them.

Everyone has a different past and everyone has a different destination. As you begin exploring a path that is different than your loved ones', you may notice a change in the relationship that the two of you share. One of the most frequent times for this to happen is when people move on to college. It is extremely sad that those you were once so close to, begin drifting apart. "What could I have done differently," you may ask yourself. Called more? Visited more? You could easily blame yourself or even the other person for the newly found distance that separates you, but more often than not, time is to blame.

I am no stranger to this concept.

My junior year of high school, I met my best friend and the love of my life. The first time we met, we instantly fell for each other. We became a couple on July 4, 2013. That night was one of the best nights of my life. The two of us spent almost three long and happy years together. He helped me through so much and I will always be grateful that God put him into my life. We could talk about anything and laugh at everything. We especially loved talking about the future and how we would be the ones to make it. We talked about how we would get married, have kids and have a beautiful life. Then, along came college, and along came time. We talked a lot in the beginning about how hard it was going to be not seeing one another every day and how we could make it through everything. Little did we know, it was going to be harder than we expected. The arguments and bickering started. At first, they were just here and there, but then after a while, they turned to fights and they became more frequent. We still loved each other with all of our hearts, so we kept trying to make it work. With time, I became worn down; things just weren't the same as they once were. We were no longer on the same path, and we had grown apart.Our relationship ended, and it was one of the saddest things I have ever experienced. Although it was an extremely hard decision, it had to be done. Here is the good part: we are still friends.

There are frequent stories of college causing people to drift apart. I do not think college is the biggest factor in this. Although college creates physical distance, time creates emotional distance. Before you go to college you are nudged down paths that other people create for you. When you go to college, you're pretty much on your own. You begin having new experiences and realizing what you want for yourself. You get to choose your own path. When you combine this with time, it is only natural that you unintentionally separate yourself from other people in your life. It is okay to have a different plan than everyone else and it is okay to grow apart from people; it is a part of growing up and it is a part of life.

So, go out there and live life. If you happen to grow apart from someone, it is not the end of the world. Rather, it is the beginning of something new. When one door closes, another one opens. Have an open mind because a lot of new people will walk out of your life, but a lot of people will also walk into it. Always remember, if someone is meant to be in your life, they will be.