change

It's really funny watching people grow up and change. Some people might have more subtle differences, while others might have more drastic ones. And not just with appearances, but with how they act, or how their relationships with various people change. I was best friends with someone for a good portion of my life. Now, I'd like to say that we are still friends, but we both have our own paths to lead. I was feeling a bit nostalgic and ended up thinking back to the times when we were, in fact, best friends, and to be honest, I think every single change that happens in someone's life occurs for a reason. We were best friends for a reason. And now we are just friends for a reason. Change happens so fast that it's not until you catch yourself looking back on old ways years later that you realize the drastic differences. Personally, I know that I have changed quite a bit. Heck, a big change for me was starting over with this blog. And another big change, even bigger than this one, was starting my blog in the first place. The person I was best friends with in the past introduced me to the world of blogging, and I will forever be grateful for that fact. They introduced me to and reinforced a lot of things that are now my hobbies and passions. Without them, without all of my changes, I would certainly not be the person I am today. Or maybe I would be the person I am today, but a slightly different version of myself. Even so, I think that change is something that should be embraced. Whether we like change or not, the truth is that such changes are inevitable.

j.j.

drifting apart?

When I wasn't in high school, I used to hear the saying that some friends naturally drift apart. At the time, I was in disbelief. I thought that I would always have my group of friends forever. But as I grew older, it became more evident that that wouldn't be the case.

And I'm okay with it.

Younger me would be horrified. I probably would have said something along the lines of, "How can you be okay with the fact that your friends won't be as close to you as they were before?" Me today would have responded with, "Because I have found the true friends that will always stick by my side. People change, and that is okay. Everyone will find their true friends and it takes a process of trial and error to do so. It is much better to have a few friends that you can always trust and feel natural and comfortable around rather than a lot of friends that make you feel hesitant about saying things or that don't really know you as well."

It is also not to say that when friends drift apart, they never talk again. Maybe in the future, I will reconnect with friends that might have drifted apart in the past and catch up. We may not be the best of friends, but I know that I will still have them in my life.

j.j.

positive outcomes

(When you think of a really good blog post idea in math class and decide to jot it down in the corner of your notebook but afterward coming back to it and not being able to read your own handwriting...#BloggerStruggles)

From experience, I know that by being positive about something, the outcome will always leave you happier than if you were to be negative about something. Recently, I've encountered experiences where I have felt annoyed or upset. Even though I am no expert at always being happy, I know that by changing your mindset, you will be happier. And if not happier, at least you will be able to appreciate the situation more and understand points of view a little bit better. Nobody in this world is perfect. But if we all decide to put in an effort to catch ourselves in the act of being negative about something and doing something positive instead, the world would be a much nicer place. It would be a step in the right direction, at least. Now I'm not saying that everyone has to be happy-go-lucky all the time. That is definitely not the case. There are times where it is okay to be sad or angry. Take a funeral for example. You definitely don't want to all of a sudden be randomly laughing at a funeral. But besides mourning, think of the good memories that have been shared and remember those moments more than the last breath. Bring a positive light to any situation and it will allow you to take fewer things for granted and more things to appreciate and cherish.

j.j.

[inspired: two English assignments; a quote from Ecclesiastes and the speech This Is Water by David Foster Wallace]