Even though college is often deemed as the best time of one’s life, it can easily be scary as well. You grow up often relying on others, or at the very least easily having someone to go to in a variety of unpleasant situations.
Your big brother is no longer down the hall to kill a spider for you. When something goes wrong with your car, you probably have to get it fixed by yourself, instead of having your dad go with you. If you’ve had a stressful day, you are no longer able to go straight to that place you have always called home to receive the comfort that you need.
While those are unsettling realizations to process, there is another side to it.
No, your family is not always going to be able to be there for you and catch you when you fall. Again, that can be a pretty scary thing to realize. At the same time, though, what about your friends?
The power of friendship often gets overlooked. This power is what allows us to get through tough times and challenges. Those situations you used to rely on family for can now be filled by friendships that have been developed throughout college, and throughout life.
Everyone of all ages, races, genders and so on needs people around them to constantly lift them up and be there to soften the ground when they fall.
As important as family is, they are not always able to meet the needs of an individual, and that could be for a multitude of different reasons, whether it is distance or something else – and that is OK.
The wonderful thing about friends is, at least – if you pick them right – your friends are the family that you choose.
It is true that friends come and go, but the best ones will never leave.
Any good friend will be willing to come over and comfort you as soon as they are able.
If you are having a bad day, they will talk you through it, or keep telling jokes until they know you have cheered up.
They will go out to dinner with you when you tell them you are craving Chinese, and they will come over and sit on the floor with you to talk about life.
They are the ones who will text you until three in the morning, no matter how tired they are.
They are your friends, people who want nothing but to see you succeed and will always be rooting you on.
Even if your family seems far away, do not forget about the family that is within your friends.
It may not be the same, but it is undoubtedly something great, and something worth cherishing. Never lose sight of the beautiful power of a friendship.
Who conjured up the idea that family is limited to blood anyway?
