Friends

In high school I remember family and older family friends telling me not to hold onto the friendships I had at the moment; to expect for life to change and friends to come and go. As I was fleeting to college, new friendships will form and that is where my lifelong friends would form.

Fast forward, four years have flown by. This past weekend I really started thinking about this concept of holding onto friendships, which one's have stayed with me and which friendships I have let go. Mom and I were on a walk Friday night after I arrived home, like always we have a nice conversation, this particular conversation arrived at her explaning that she is suprised at to which people I stayed in contact with from high school, even some who have graduated from college. I hadn't really thought about it too much, but this weekend one of the main reasons for going home was to say goodbye to a friend who is getting deployed to Iraq in the first week of April.

Many people my age are experiencing the same exact thing. As I look at the people who I did stay in contact with from high school is quite interesting and one of the elements I am curious about is how did it happen. I have known some of these people from junior high, then our friendships advanced into high school; and even though we are across the state or even country, although we don't talk on a regular basis, but when we come back together it is like we haven't left each other's side. It seems as if we still hang out in between class periods, during lunch, after school, going on double dates, etc... On Saturday, when I arrived, I did not know really what to expect. I knew that Brandon and Megan's (two high school sweethearts married) families would be there and both that I know. Other than that, I wasn't sure who to expect out of our group of friends who would be there. There was two of us from WSU there, coming from across the state, another two who came in from CWU and a couple that are still around the area and Seattle. One of the girls that was there was Claire. Claire, Megan, and I had a long talk about old high school days and when Claire and I dated the twins at the same time which we spent a long time laughing about; but not too loud since Brian was there. Oh the memories. But once the families had left, Brandon wanted to just hang out with the group again- to see the friends. As we all took our old spots on the couches and chairs- one person commented how it felt like high school all over again. As I looked Brandon, he has a huge smile on his face; I think that is what he wanted before leaving. What I am interested in, is how we all can come back together from being away for so long but still be great friends. And one thing that Claire said which is always a fun reminder about life is, "You know, we thought we had it all figured out back then. Things definitely changed and did not turn out like we thought." So true, extremely true.

What is interesting to me, is that the people which I have hung out with who has had an impact on my life which in the end, the people who I am still friends with and keep in touch with have definitely shaped me. Some have pushed me academically, mentally, some emotionally, others physically, as well as spiritually. In the end, each one has entered, some have left, but each has left an imprint on my heart and who I am.

You know when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be like; the white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would close your eyes at night and have complete and utter faith. Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close that you could taste them, but eventually one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to things and people they trust. But the thing is, that it is hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely becuase everybody almost has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that oned ay they will open their eyes and it will be true. At the end of the day, faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you really don't expect it. It is like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it is not so important, but happily ever after, or being happy at that moment and the moments in life is most important; in the present. Once in a while, once in a blue moon, people, events, things, will take your breath away and in that moment you are in that fairy tale.

Sorry if you thought I would come up with a conclusion about all of this in the end, I don't. I am looking to my right and seeing that I need to work on my homework instead of writing more in this blog.