Friends
I never experienced a shortage of friends throughout my childhood and teen years; making friends always came naturally to me. Some friendships lasted only a year, while others endured until the end of high school. A cherished few have remained with me, and I sincerely hope they continue.
As we grow older, the nature of friendships changes. It's a bittersweet aspect of maturing. Eventually, we learn that some friendships aren’t meant to last forever. Some are there for just a season, teaching us valuable lessons, bringing moments of joy, or simply accompanying us through a particular phase of life. I’ve been grateful to have so many of these experiences through traveling and living on the road. These transient friendships, though short-lived, are no less significant. The relationships and connections I’ve made as an adult have left huge impacts on who I am, stepping stones assisting you to the next chapter or phase in life.
Then, there are the friendships that weather the storms of life. These are the relationships that persist, regardless of distance, life changes, or periods of silence. They're the kind of friends who are there for you, the ones you can rely on. Whether we met at the age of 5 or 25, these friends have the unique ability to see and recognize us through the various stages of our lives. These connections are invaluable, changing and growing alongside us, and establishing a deep bond that goes beyond just being friends. With growth and change, however, comes the unavoidable reality that some paths will diverge. Priorities shift, interests evolve, and friendships leave our lives. It's a natural progression, and while no one wants that, it’s a part of human life, a part of everyone’s journey.
I’ve written about this before but as we get older I believe we seek a deeper-rooted connection a meaningful connection that leaves you in thought. I think we naturally go through life thinking that when we are adults we will meet an abundance of people and have beautiful relationships and friendships but I’ve slowly learned that is not true at least in my case, I feel we end up having very few meaningful friendships ones the circle of “real” friends begins to close as we go through life.