As we enter our twenties we are bombarded with tons of propaganda about how we are going to lose all of our high school friends. We are told that those relationships will fail because we will grow apart or something about us changes. While some of that can be true, the real reason those relationships don’t last is because we don’t put in the necessary effort.

Every relationship takes work, friendships are no different. I can honestly say that I am guilty of not putting forth the necessary effort.Throughout my life the friends that I’ve had can be categorized by certain chapters. Rarely having any of those friends played a major role in a multiple chapters. My friends from elementary at this point are simply a faint memory, but most of my friends from high school merely exist on the yearbook pages of my mind.

Its not because I think they are not important or that I don’t cherish those memories. We didn’t “grow apart”; despite whatever has changed in our life the core of who we are has remained the same. Its because after we went our separate ways no one ever made the effort to continue the friendship. As the years go by and more time passes it seems like the window of opportunity to reach out closes. Eventually those friendships become something of the past.

Lately, as I have been aiming to get back to happy, I have spent some time reflecting on some of my most cherished moments. None of those times would have happened without the presence of friends. This got me thinking, I should really reach out to an old friend. So I did just that.

It had been years since we had really spoken to each other. Sure, we are Facebook friends and occasionally we will like each other’s status, but it had been at least 7-8 years since we really talked. In that time a lot has changed. We have both matured and our personalities have evolved, but the core of who we are remains the same. Its fascinating how quickly we were able to fall back into the rhythm of genuine friendly conversation. It felt so good to around someone so familiar.

So you want to know how to avoid losing your friends from high school?

The answer is simple, just make an effort to keep in contact with them. No matter where life will take you never allow the doors on your friendships to completely close. But if you are like me and you let 8 years has past, I encourage you to reach out. You will be surprised how rewarding it feels to reconnect with old friends.