iriseyes

OK, so I just got back from my evening out with my friend Janessa. She and I first met when we were ten and in fifth grade. We were best friends for the next couple years, and then we went on to middle school, where we didn't see each other as often, but were still great friends. In high school we hardly saw each other, first because we just didn't take the same classes, and second because she spent her senior year at another school. I'd run into her every now and then because she worked at CVS, but other than that, I really had no idea what was going on in her life or how she was doing.

Going away to college has made me see things differently, as far as what's important to me and what's not. I've broken connections with people who were not adding anything positive to my life, and have tried to strengthen those bonds with people who bring me happiness. For the last year or so, Janessa and I have gotten together a few times when I have been home from school, and we've caught up on each others lives. I have to admit, it's a tiny bit awkward when we're together now, so much time as gone by, and we have both changed a lot.

Janessa used to be a very abrasive kid. She always had problems with teachers and with other girls, there was constant drama. She's been through a lot of hard times that no doubt added to her attitude and the way she dealt with things. But, since high school, something has changed her. Before, she would tell someone off and would sometimes go out of her way to make a scene. Now, she's very introspective and just seems kinder. Her and I never had problems, but she was always getting in fights with so-called friends. From her mother's cancer, to her parent's eventual divorce (that stemmed from her father having an affair while her mother was getting chemo treatments and practically on her death bed... ), barely getting through high school, there were a plethora of events that just didn't go her way. She's been through so much. I used to worry about how she'd turn out. But not anymore.

She's no longer the angst-ridden, rebellious teenager that I used to know. She has goals and a plan for her life now. She understands that she caused some of the problems she had, but instead of dwelling on it, she learned from it. I am so proud of her. She is such a great person. I really love her. I hope that we can get back to the way we used to be, and that the bit of awkwardness goes away. I'm so happy to have her back in my life.