I have found myself guilty of this time after time. I have lost countless friends over the years for various reasons, but it did not always have to be that way. Sure, it's natural. People grow apart and lose touch. I have lost many great friends because neither party felt the need to stay in touch with the other. However, the opposite is also true, and I have had friends stay with me throughout the years despite having grown apart or going to college, etc. Looking back on my childhood, I realize I have only kept in touch with one friend that I met in my younger years. I hear many of my friends who talk about their childhood best friends and that they still are in contact with them. I wish this were true for me as well, but that just wasn’t in my cards.
The friendships I had when I was younger are seemingly distant memories that once in a while pop into my head and I find myself wondering how these people are doing. However, it is quite clear that neither side of the relationship finds it necessary to reignite the connection. I find myself wondering why on occasion. I mean sure, there are many reasons why a friendship could end and I have had many end for very valid reasons. But there are just some that I really do not know why they ended in the first place. In fact, some friendships I believe could very likely still work and that we would get along just as we used to. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.
The one friendship that has lasted me since the 1st grade has had its ups and downs, sure. But what makes this one different than all the others that have crashed and burned throughout the years? I think this comes down to the willingness of both people involved in the friendship to take their responsibility of really showing they care. This doesn’t even have to be often, since a great friend will always be there for you. For a good while, this long term friend and I did grow apart quite significantly and talked less for several years. However, now that we are at similar points in our lives, we were able to reconnect and save the friendship. Despite our differences, we always managed to keep the friendship on the backburner, never letting the pilot light go out. I am truly grateful for a friendship like this. While we may not be as close as we used to be as children, I know that this friend will always be there for me, and I for her.
Being far away from home at an out-of-state college, I had the unique experience of starting fresh and making completely new friends. Even so, I have already made and lost some connections that I spent a great deal of time with. However, since being in Colorado, I have made an effort to be better to my friends, making sure that I am there when they need me. I hope to establish long term relationships that will last me many years into the future. I can only wish that my closest friends share the same sentiment, which I believe they do. I cannot stress enough the importance of good friends. After all, what’s the point of giving your time to people if you don’t want them in your life for the long run?
