I’ve seen it happen a million times: two people connect, on a level way past basic friendship, and they go from zero to 100 real quick. All of a sudden, they’re inseparable. You don’t see one without the other, and you definitely know that they’re a packaged deal. There’s no secrets between the two, and everything is “the best day ever with my best friend ever”.
But, what happens when these two people have a falling out? An argument, a significant other, a lie? The pictures turn to memories, the good times turn to pain, and the thought of never being without turns into a harsh reality. Well, from personal experience as well as watching it happen to others, I think this is possibly one of the best things to happen to a person.
At a time when someone can feel so hurt and lonely, that’s the exact time everyone needs to realize who he/she is. It forces you to go out on your own and make a name for yourself — gone are the days of walking into somewhere and hearing “Oh my gosh, hi! But wait, where’s ‘best friend’s name’?!”. You finally have a golden opportunity in front of you: the opportunity to be you.
People will get to know you as the person you actually are, not the one you were when you were with your best friend. They’ll get to see how kind you are or funny you are on your own, and they’ll love you just the same. You’ll branch out and make new friends and different memories and then maybe, somewhere down the road, you might be friends with your bff again. But in between the pain and the new friendships, you’ve realized something — you don’t need someone else to help define you.
Losing friends is hard, especially in the transition times between high school and college and then college and the “real world”. People come and go, but you need to always realize who you are and where you’re going. Don’t rely on other people to define who you are. You are you, and you should always embrace that.
Today you are you,
That is truer than true,
There is no one alive,
Who is youer than you.
~Dr. Seuss
Bri Car 