Throughout elementary school, friendships often feel permanent. Kids tend to assume that the people they meet early in life will stay friends forever. However, once high school comes into the picture, friendships can become more complicated. While some people remain close with friends they met when they were younger, others begin to drift apart or stop being friends altogether due to different circumstances.
CdM junior Becca Tomac shared her perspective on the role friendship has played in her life. When asked how her friendships have changed throughout high school, she explained, “My friend group has stayed pretty much the same since freshman year, but a few people have joined and left.” Tomac believes that personal growth is one of the biggest reasons friendships shift during these years. She explains, “I think everyone is just trying to figure themselves out in high school, and everyone goes through different phases of who they are. Sometimes this leads to people losing commonality with one another.” From her own experience, Tomac says, “I have grown apart from a friend in high school, and it was just due to miscommunications and us both changing as people.” While some friendships may fade, supportive and understanding friendships are often the ones that last the longest.
CdM junior Berlin McCoy also shared her experience with changing friendships. “I moved halfway through my sophomore year, so I had to make new friends from scratch without knowing anyone, which can definitely be a difficult thing to do,” she said. McCoy explained that distance played a major role in some of her friendships changing. “I’ve grown apart from multiple people throughout high school for many different reasons, one being moving away and not being a five-minute walk from each other.” However, she notes that distance is not the only factor. “I think friendships tend to change when you start doing what you want to do. Interests are different for everyone, and if you don’t share the same ones, you tend to drift apart. Also, if you don’t make the time to stay in contact, then those friendships tend to change.” McCoy believes the most important parts of maintaining friendships are effort and communication. “If you make the time to hang out and talk to each other outside of school, your connection will grow, and those bonds will grow stronger.”
Ultimately, friendship is an important part of human nature and plays a significant role in many people’s lives. Even though friendships may change over time, they can still leave a lasting impact. Just because a friendship does not last forever does not mean it was not meaningful or important while it lasted.
