Apparently it’s a rarity– the friendships we have now will be short-lived — at least that’s what we’re told. Sad but true. Right? We make friends; we love friends. We lose friends, it’s part of life. Generally, the separation isn’t anyone’s fault. It just happens, you know? People grow apart. Teenagers are at an age of uncertainty. No other age group encounters the kind of change we do. Consequently, we’re used to making new friends. We learn to deal with it. BUT, if we’re truly lucky, we find a friendship that lasts through high school, perhaps college, and maybe, just maybe, life.
We won’t find these best friends anywhere. They aren’t the ones who just ask for homework. They aren’t the ones we just see in class. They aren’t the ones that just wave to us in the hallway. They’re the ones who skip school with us, or for me, the one who won’t let me skip school. They’re the ones who eat lunch with us every day, even if that means waking up to drive to Burger King on the weekend. They’re the ones who help us keep our schedules straight, even if they can’t keep track of their own. These friends, through thick and thin, place us above all else.
What’s even rarer is finding this friend early. I met my best friend in kindergarten. We spent all of elementary school together. We grew up together. We ran the lane together. And when my best friend’s life changed forever, so did mine. I was hurt just as much; I cried just as much, if not more. It’s a unique type of sadness, more than sympathy. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do. And that sort of helplessness ate away at me for a while. But, we made it through– together– the same way we started. Ten years later, not much has changed. And I’m sure, as with all of us who have found that best friend, nothing is going to change. We watch out for each other.
We shouldn’t take any of this for granted because college comes fast. We may never see these friends again, at least no more often than the occasional “Let’s get coffee and catch up.”
So, enjoy spending time with your best friend while you can. Go to a concert. Hang out on the weekend together. Meet for breakfast. Buy those stupid doughnuts already. More than anything else, let your best friend know how much he or she means to you. Tell your friend. Right now. Go and find him or her. Because who knows? We may be losing our friends faster than we think–as I said, we are living the age of change. We will leave school and maybe go our separate ways. Don’t waste these few precious months before graduation. What are you waiting for? Go find your best friend.
This article appears on Weelunk via a partnership with the John Marshall high School Blog.