One of the best things about graduating high school and going to college is meeting so many new people. However, going to college and meeting new people meant leaving my best friends behind. My best friends are scattered across the United States now. They’re living their lives and meeting new people too. Although I am doing the same, I really miss my best friends. I miss being able to drive 10 minutes down the road and talking to them in class. Luckily, I’ve recently visited with some of my best friends from high school.

Here’s how that went:

A few weeks ago, I went home and met up with my high school newspaper editor Katie. She is the kind of person you can tell anything to, knowing that she would never judge you. She was always there to lend a helping hand or tell a weird story to make you smile. She came home to speak at a conference, and I came home just because. We talked all about our collegiate adventures and how much we had missed each other.

This past weekend, my two very best friends came to Hattiesburg for a quick visit. They’re twins named Maddie and McKenzie. We went and ate burgers and drank milkshakes at Ed’s—where else, honestly? After dinner, I took them to where I work: The Lucky Rabbit. As we pulled up to the store, they seemed skeptical and rightfully so. We were about to walk into an old warehouse building in the middle of downtown Hattiesburg at 7:30 p.m. As I opened the front doors to let them in, I watched their eyes get bigger as they fell in love with the store. We finished the night talking about the memories we had made in college and reminisced about our middle school years.

Visiting with your best friends and being able to talk to them about everything is so comforting. There’s almost nothing better— well, except maybe puppies. Puppies are great. Like puppies, your friends can really help you get rid of some stress. Your best friends are always there for you, and if they’re true friends, they will never judge you. They have always had your back, and they always will.

It is so strange to think about how Maddie, McKenzie and I have come so far as friends. Who would have ever thought that we would be able to look back on the goofy things we did as awkward middle schoolers? I knew that we were going to grow up, but it feels like the growing up came so soon. It feels like just yesterday we were playing hideand-seek in their old neighborhood late at night, and now we live in totally different states to attend college.

The moral of my reflection is that time is forever fleeting. I am growing up and getting older. I am making new friends and keeping old friends close. I am making new memories and feeling nostalgic about old ones. I think that during a time of so much new, it is important to stay in touch with the familiar, especially your best friends. From the wise words of my grandmother’s foot rest: “Friends are flowers that never fade.”