I was having a conversation with my dad the other day when he asked me if I had heard from any of my friends back home. I told him that I wasn’t sure how many friends I still have back home, considering that I never really talk to most of them. My dad kind of chuckled and said, "Just because you don’t talk to people, it doesn’t mean that they stop being your friend."
I’m not sure why, but this concept just kind of blew my mind. I’d always had this idea in my head that I’d lost most of my friends from high school because we had all moved on. We have all made new friends and have made lives for ourselves somewhere new. However, I am beginning to realize that my dad is right. Moving to a new place and spending your time with different people doesn’t mean that you have "lost" anyone. It just means that you are growing up.
The truth is that even some of the people who I haven’t talked to since graduation are still my friends. They are my friends because I still care about them and I want them to be happy. People always talk about the friends that they have "lost along the way" as they have grown up. However, have you really lost them? They may not be in the same place that you left them, but they are still out there somewhere. I am guessing that that friend still cares about you and is cheering for your successes, just as you are cheering for theirs.
Not talking to someone doesn’t mean that you have "lost" them. It just means that your lives aren’t on the same path anymore. You still have the memories and the inside jokes. You still have stories of them that no one else can ever tell. If you still care about them and they still care about you, then they are still your friend. The beauty of these friendships is that when you do begin to talk again, whether it is by choice or by chance, you both have your own crazy adventures to share with each other.
As we grow older, it’s true that there are people who we lose along the way. There are people who we leave behind because they no longer have a part in our lives. Then there are people who, for reasons unknown, leave you behind. However, if you ever really need someone, chances are good that you have more friends than you may think.
To the people who I haven’t talked with in a while, I just want you to know that I am still your friend. I may look a little different or laugh at different things, but I am still someone who cares about your well-being. I’ll be there if you need a friend to talk to for a few hours or I’ll be there stalking your posts on Facebook and smiling at your pictures. Even if we don’t talk and we don’t know much about each other’s lives, I am still your friend.
