Friendships

Going into college, one of my biggest worries was if I was going to find friends and if those friends could support me in the ways I needed. Back home, I had always relied heavily on my mom while dealing with an estranged relationship with my father, until I simply cut off all contact from him. Here at home, I have some of my closest friends. People who have been there for me through it all, and I was nervous that I would never develop other friendships as deeply as I had here. Boy was I wrong. Developing and growing friendships takes a lot of time and trust, but the benefits are never-ending. At college, I fostered friendships with people that I know will last me a lifetime, causing me to dread the moment that I had to go home and be away from all the wonderful people I met. As someone who has been abandoned in the past, there has always been a lingering fear of being left for lonely, my friends finally realizing what is “wrong” with me and casting me aside. But finally, I have made enough close relationships to realize that there is nothing wrong with me and that fear has dissipated.