Life

I was thinking today about all of the people that have come and gone from my life over the years. I remember being told in high school that "the friends you have now you won't have when you're an adult and you all go your separate ways" and for a majority of my high school friends that is exactly how it turned out. People that will always hold a special place in my heart and are in countless memories that I love to look back on yet, most of those people I never see and rarely even talk to. I think the teenage years of our lives hold bittersweet memories for everyone. I treasure those friends from those years that I do still see and spend time talking and staying current on each other's lives, they're rare people that I can honestly say, "I've known them forever!".
It's not just the teenage years though, there were friends in college that I saw every day and now I no longer talk to. We grew apart once the common denominator of our friendship ended and new careers and priorities took over. I don't think it means our friendship was meaningless or shallow, I just know that as life goes on and becomes more complicated and busy we tend to have less time for the people outside of our immediate family and coworkers. Now that it's not surprising when an American works more than they sleep and spend time with their family put together, the workplace has become literally, "our home away from home". The same goes for sports teams, volunteer groups, church families, kids activities, etc.
When I was fifteen my family moved from the place I had grown up to a city almost two hours away. It was hard to stay in contact with my "old" friends as school pressure intensified and we all started our first jobs. When you add distance to any relationship the probability of it lasting drops drastically. It was hard as a teenager to accept this but as an adult I realize that sometimes letting go gives way to life experiences you couldn't have imagined and new relationships that help you grow, it's a hard part of life to learn and there are probably those that struggle at every transition because they never do.
It's amazing how someone can be such a big part of your life for so long then only in a matter of weeks or months you realize they're not even a part of it at all. Crazy how quickly our emotions and life evolve! Relationships, friends, coworkers, it truly is an ever changing journey. One that we adapt and conform to, changing a little as each phase gives way to the next.