I've heard that the average friendship lasts about 7 years, and I never thought this to be true until recently. Going to college really put things in perspective for me and showed me that no matter how hard you try to hold onto something, you can still drift away from it. Does it suck? Yes. Very much so. Can you stop it from happening? Maybe for a little while, but it's inevitable. You might never lose the complete connection, but it can certainly dull down due to changes in your life.
For instance, this year I have gained a boyfriend. He is my world and I enjoy spending about 95% of my time with him because he makes me a better person. He is in fact my best friend, and not just because we're dating, he's been my best friend for at least 8 years of my life. Until 6 months ago we decided we'd be better off together because we realized we loved each other more then we ever thought we did. Anyways as you can see this friendship is an exception to the rule. If you've ever seen "He's Just Not That Into You", you know all about the rule and the exception. Well, this exception has taken up a lot of my time. Do I regret it? No. Not in the least bit. Do I enjoy my new found love? Yes. Do I miss the things I used to do with my spare time? More then I thought I would.
One of these things is hanging out with my best friend. He happens to be a guy, and we used to do everything together. From just going to do errands, to spending ridiculous nights in the woods on adventures I'll never forget. These things have passed me by a lot quicker then I thought they would, and I believe it all started when I went to St. Thomas. That whole summer we never saw eachother, one reason being I was in St. Thomas, the other being because this is when I started with my new boyfriend. It was my fault that we've drifted. It was hard to make time. And now he's going to college and making new friends and I miss him more then I can imagine. I still call him when I'm upset and have no one to turn to because he knows me very well and has always been there for me, but it's just not the same, and I miss it.
Next comes my best friend from freshmen year of high school. We met through volleyball and all through high school were inseparable. We did everything together, and whenever I wanted to do something she was the first one I'd look to. Now, that's been replaced by my boyfriend. Freshmen year of college her and I were still always doing things together. We had the same friends and at times it could get strenuous because we didn't have anything of our own. This year though, it's a little different. I never thought that having a boyfriend could change so much, but it has. Now she hangs out with our friends from last year and continues to get closer to them and drifting from me. I spend my time in another building with my boyfriend and miss out on a lot of things. I feel left out and distant. Is this my fault? Most likely. I won't deny it, I know I have my choice in where I'm want to be and I can't stop her from being her own person. But these day I'm jealous. Other people are spending more time with my best friend. She's making new ones and I feel as though she's leaving me behind. Our pictures on facebook used to be almost identical and now mine contain images of me and my boyfriend and hers contain pictures of various people, different girls, all whose she's gotten very close to. It hurts, more then I can imagine. And I don't know what to do about it.
They say the average friendship lasts about 7 years, my friendship with her has been just about that long. Does that mean it's going to end and I'll no longer have the best friend I've always turned to?
