Seasons of Friendship

October's Essay

“My life story is the story of everyone I’ve ever met.”

-Jonathan Safran Foer

Growing up, we moved around a lot. I attended a different school every year until I reached high school, which made the idea of keeping in touch with people feel utterly foreign to me. Each year was a clean slate, and I had to adapt to the culture of a new school, new state, or even a new country. I envied the kids with friends they’d known for years—friends who knew each other so well they could practically read each other’s minds. You know, the kind of friends who realized that a fight didn’t mean the end of a friendship, but just an opportunity to argue about whose turn it was to choose the next movie.

Looking back, I can appreciate the impact of those fleeting friendships. Even though some people were in my life for only a short time, they left a profound mark on me. They helped me discover passions I didn’t even know I had, showed me what true kindness meant, and taught me about the risks worth taking. I’ve been shaped just as much by those who were temporarily in my life as by the people I consider lifelong friends. These connections, no matter how brief, remind me that every relationship—past and present—plays a vital role in shaping our stories.

Change is Constant

Change is one of the few constants in our lives—even our bodies morph slightly from one day to the next. Whether we crave it or fear it, change is inevitable. One of the few upsides to moving around so much is that I made peace with the idea of change at a young age. On the flip side, it has deepened my desire for a place to call home, embedding that longing deep in my bones. It’s also made me treasure the relationships I do have. For me, the loss of a friendship feels just as soul-crushing as a breakup.

My first friendship heartbreak happened in high school, thanks to a group of friends I made after being less than kind and abandoning the friends I had. Karma served me my just desserts. Now, I’m acutely aware of those dynamics, which is why I make it a point to tell the people I’m close to that I love them. This journey has truly shaped my approach to close connections.

Brief Connections

I know I’ve quoted my friend before who said that sometimes people are only meant to be in your life for a season, but it really stuck with me. It sends me down memory lane, reminding me of those incredible people who helped me discover my passions, taught me valuable lessons in kindness, and encouraged me to take risks. Brief encounters that have left their marks.

• Discovering Passions: In school, I was an overachiever, mainly to prove myself—