Anyone who has graduated high school or college since 2000 has almost certainly heard Vitamin C’s song Graduation. The chorus croons…
“As our lives change,
Come whatever,
We still still be
Friends forever.”
And everyone who has actually had a graduation realizes that Vitamin C’s wisdom, might not be so accurate.
Personally, I had this one core group of friends in high school. We saw each other practically everyday. Come August, we slowly, but surely parted for our respective colleges, and I was an emotional wreck each time I had to say “goodbye”. In an effort to comfort me my dad told me, “You won’t even be friends with these girls in four years” I was so angry I wanted to hit him. But low and behold, four years later, he was right.
GRADUATION (FRIENDS FOREVER) MUSIC VIDEO
Some days, I have a really difficult time accepting the fate of these friendships. The crazy fun times we had are tainted with grief from the loss of these bonds. I see some of the amazing things these women are now accomplishing, and I so wish I could celebrate the realization of their dreams becoming reality. I wonder, if I sent them a text message, or a facebook post….could I fix what has been broken?
Other days, I remember to be grateful for what I do have. My current friends and I have had some equally amazing times together. We’ve grown up together at college, and now we’re keeping in touch as we find our own places in the world. I wouldn’t give them up for anything.
Luckily Vitamin C (in her infinite, albeit shaky wisdom) did not leave me hanging. The last verse of the song provided me with some inspiration…
“I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it’s like we’re women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us around?”
A notion Radley has learned: as your life changes, so does your friends. Sadly…
My high school friends meant the world to me, but I can’t let the memories haunt me. I can’t get hung up on the “What ifs?” If I do, not only does it make my current life miserable, but it hurts the great memories I have with them.
“Friends forever” is a wonderful sentiment, and I’m not saying that lifelong friendships are impossible…
But sometimes the best friends you ever have are part-time. They fly into your life for a reason, for a short period of time, and then they are gone. If you wallow in the shadows you’ll miss so much of what life has to offer.
If you keep yourself open and remember the good, forty years from now you’ll have some unforgettable stories, some fabulous memories, and a patchwork of friends who helped define each moment of your life…
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