During the first three years of high school, I felt that friends came and went. Many of my elementary friends played different sports than me and decided to hang out with new individuals as this was the first time our entire grade was united. I met people in classes but only referred to them as “school friends.” Throughout sophomore and junior year, I hung out with a few of my teammates. We did everything together including walking to class, eating lunch, going to practice, and shopping at the mall on the weekends. Although at the time I thought this was a great situation, I did not realize the effects of their behaviors and habits on myself.
As my senior year commenced, I began to hang out with two other girls in my grade and this was certainly the highlight of my year. I remember the first time we hung out consisted of doing a workout in my garage. My dad came out and asked if they wanted to stay for dinner because we were getting takeout from “Tokyo Grill,” my favorite restaurant. We all ordered chicken hibachi and ice cream while sitting around to catch the latest college football game on TV. This was the first of many epic nights during the year. As the semester progressed, we continued to work out after school, attend lacrosse and soccer games with decorated posters for our friends, get breakfast at a waffle bar, float down the Cannon River on tubes, take late night trips to Chick Fil A, walk in the arboretum, and of course graduate high school. These friends most definitely changed the way I thought about myself and my identity. They called me out when I was negative and constantly built me up to be the best version of myself. I believe they will be friends for life.
Because of the fact that friends came and went in my early years of high school, I am extra grateful for the high school friendships I developed during my senior year. They have helped shape my identity, build my confidence, and have been people to share life with.
