By George Flynn | Opinions Editor
Friends come and friends go, but what do you do when your best friend moves on with his or her life for bigger and better opportunities? They will always be there for you with phone calls and skype conversations, but it is never the same as seeing someone every day. In college this happens often: friends transfer schools, graduate, move back home, go to graduate school, get jobs and continue with their lives. How does one stay stable and content when a loved one continues the long journey of life without you? How do we keep the joy in our lives?
When a best friend leaves, it is very important to stay in touch. Never lose a best friend due to distance or change. The best friendships survive these difficult struggles. Call them weekly and let them know what is going on in your life. He or she will be so happy to hear from you and learn about your adventures and he or she will be more than glad to share their new life with you. Send letters, e-mails, write on Facebook walls and tweet. Try and dedicate as much time as you can.
On the flip side, you hopefully still have other friendships to fall back on outside of your best friend. Take this opportunity to get close to them again. This opportunity to rebuild old friendships can be very fruitful. You can rediscover why certain friendships are so special. Old memories will remind you that just because you lose one person, does not mean you are completely alone.
Stay close with those you consider family. View them as your backbone in situations such as these. Call your parent or guardian and keep a close relationship if possible. They will help you in this strange and lonely transition. If you have a family like mine, they will always be behind you no matter what. When I feel as if I have been left behind by a friend, I usually call my mother and talk to her and she will help me recall all the good things in my life. If you lack a supportive relationship with your family, the next best thing is to turn to your professors and counselors. Some of your professors don’t only just care about your assignments and test scores. You would be surprised to find out how much your professors really care. If not, we have counselors on campus, they are more than happy to help you and offer emotional support. That is what they are there for.
Join clubs. Shake up your social calendar and check out an organization that sparks your interest. Not only will you meet new people who have the same interests as you, but you might happen to stumble upon something you are truly passionate about. Whether this organization is Greek Life, a book club or a group that involves your major, you will fill your social calendar and it will keep you busy. You can even get a new job. Exposing yourself to a new environment and new people you would never have known otherwise might be good and exciting for you. The more new people you meet, the better chances you will have at making new long-lasting friendships. Meeting new people and discovering interests will help you move on to a new chapter and not miss your friendship from before.
Do the things you love. Read books, watch movies, listen to music and run around with your peers. It is always important to stay active. Don’t stay in and mope around because your best friend is gone and you’re still in college. If you feel stagnant and alone, don’t stay that way. You can change that by going outside and going on personal adventures, whether that is taking pictures of pretty sites alone or going out for a night on the town with another circle of friends.
When friends leave life is not over. There are so many other people to meet and places to see. When one door closes another one opens. Don’t worry too much. Jump into this new solitary chapter of your life and remember to always keep in touch with your far away friend. In today’s age, no one is ever too far from you.
George Flynn is a senior English major and can be reached at flynng@duq.edu.
