I’ll Miss You, Buddy
I was recently sitting with one of my best friends discussing how much our lives are about to change as he’ll be going abroad, and I’ll be graduating in the spring. Overwhelmed by all of this, I suddenly burst out in tears at the uncertainty of the future, and quite frankly, how much I’m going to miss him next semester. However, while I am obviously very sad about this, I let him know how proud and excited I am for him to take on this journey. I know he’s sad too, but it wouldn’t be right of me to make him feel bad for doing something so exciting. Plus, I know our reunion is going to be crazy when he’s back.
Unfortunately, this is an occurrence that will happen numerous times in our lives. A lot of the time your friends will have a really amazing opportunity, but that might mean this lessens their opportunities with you. As much as we might feel abandoned and angry, we have to remind ourselves that everyone has different needs and goals.
I experienced this from a young age being an expat in Singapore. People were always coming and going as new opportunities arose for them. It always felt that as soon as I got close to someone, they were either moving to a new school, moving to a new apartment, or moving to an entirely new country. I feel like this prepared me for the harsh reality of having friends. Having people you love and care about is so beautiful, and while their decisions may sometimes sadden you, good friends are happy and proud of one another.
In high school, my best friend knew my dream school was UW-Madison and that if I got in, I would be going there. At first she was shocked I would choose to move so far away, but despite her being sad, I’ll never forget the text she sent after I shared the exciting news. She was there every step of the way. She set up my entire grad party with my mom, sent me off with a care package, and gave me a letter I was not to open until I got to Madison that stayed on my desk to remind me of how much she cared. I know how hard it was on her, but I am so grateful to have a friend who was so encouraging and praised me for my accomplishments.
Cherish all your memories, tell your friends you love them, and most importantly share their enthusiasm for things they’re excited about. Friends are meant to be support systems in both good and bad situations. Nothing compares to having supportive friendships, so be the friend who is happy for others. I’ll miss my best friend insanely, but I have learned the importance of support from others, and I will do the same for him as he has for me.