It's amazing how having just a little more free time gives you the chance to sit back and reflect on what's really important, and I know that what's most near to my heart is all the amazing people that I have in my life. Whether I've known them since I was in preschool or just met them a few months ago, I could rattle off a list of all the people who I honestly couldn't imagine my life without, and that's pretty special.
If you can't already tell, I'm an incredibly over-sentimental person. That being said, I hope nobody takes this the wrong way because I sincerely don't think everyone should stop what they're doing during the middle of the day to reminisce about the "good old days" with friends and family. Really, my main point in this post is simply to remind you that if you don't take the time to acknowledge the people that have helped you grow as a person, you risk losing that relationship and that means you might lose a part of who you are.
It's actually sort of wild to think about how easily the human brain is molded. When we're younger, we act like our parents/guardians because they're our greatest role models, and it soon moves on to the cool older sibling, cousin, babysitter, neighbor, friend's sibling, etc. Our little brains tell us that that's what we "want to be" when we grow up, and we do everything we can to act like we're older than we really are. When we move into adolescent life, that's when our peers really start to influence who we are...which can either be a good or a bad thing.
Luckily, it was great for me. I was fortunate enough to grow up with people who shared many of the same values as me, and who accepted me for the awkward, shy, athletically-challenged and unusually tall girl with poor reflexes that I was/still am. We had some things in common, but at the root of our personalities, I was actually pretty different than all of my friends. I wasn't a fast swimmer, star student or beautiful ballerina. I wasn't the class clown or super popular girl. Instead, I was the quiet one that would only crack a joke once I got to know you well enough. I had plenty of thoughts and opinions, but I kept most of them to myself. I had hobbies, but not a ton of common ones to share with my close friends.
What's interesting is that having friends that were so different than me is what helped me realize who I really am.
My friends taught me that it was okay that I was a sucky swimmer and never made it to the city meet, they would still play Splash and Stars with my anyway. They taught me that I really CAN be funny, I just have to speak up and just get the freaking joke out. They taught me that a true friend doesn't make the 8th grade volleyball team with the rest of them but is still in the stands during nearly every game. They taught me that being a good person doesn't mean you're perfect, it just means you're kind and are mindful of the feelings of others. They taught me that true selflessness is jumping into a dirty river to retrieve your friend's flip flop when a 7th grade boy throws it in as an attempt at flirting (note that he wasn't flirting with me, it was the friend). On that note, they also taught me everything that I should and shouldn't do in a romantic relationship (I love you all but it's true, I've learned a lot from being the perpetually single girl bystander). But most importantly, they taught me that it doesn't matter how different I am because they love me for who I am, and that's someone who's taken a lesson from each and every one of them to heart.
The older we get and the more miles that separate us, it gets harder and harder to see many of these people, but I've learned so much from them, it doesn't seem fair to just cut them out of my life. That's why I've tried really hard to see as many old friends as possible this summer. Let's face it, we don't know what day is going to be our last, and I don't want to ever leave this planet knowing that I never checked in on so-and-so to see if her sister's health was improving, or with such-and-such to see if she got that campus tour guide job that she really wanted. I want to make sure I celebrate all their successes and help them get through all the downfalls, even if it's as simple as a 10-word text. Letting someone that you care about know that you haven't forgotten about them really isn't that hard to do, it just means that we have to constantly remind ourselves that these are people that we don't want out of our lives.
I know it's not always that simple. Sometimes, people don't respond to that heartfelt text that you so anxiously sent. Sometimes, you wonder why they didn't text you the same thing when you were having a rough time not that long ago. But sometimes, we just have to make the first step. If someone never acknowledges you for reaching out, it's their loss for not keeping you in their life. And as terrifying as it is to make that initial contact sometimes, I would be so much more unhappy if I didn't at least try.
No comments:
Post a Comment