Friendship

Yet so so important to talk about.

Because it really makes life worth living. <3

The first years of adulthood teach you many things, but one of the biggest lessons I believe it has taught me (and I continue to learn about) is just how valuable friends are. Having people to love and care for is so magical, and this feeling is only recognizable when you come to a moment on your path where that is lost. Where you feel alone on your journey. It really is a scary place to be for the reason that it can come unexpectedly. Sometimes it can reflected upon and there may have been factors leading up to it, such as isolation from stress, or a greater focus on your work than your relationships. Other times though, I think we get so wrapped up in our expeditions that we forget to water what's really important to us in our hearts.

In my Color Photography class I just recently finished this past fall semester at Grand Valley State University, I created a final project around this concept: what you water will grow. Connection was one of the topics I touched on through my photos because it holds such weight in my heart. I know you've experience a time where you arrived home from an outing with someone who you hold close in your heart and just thought, wow. People are amazing. She is amazing (or he, etc.). You get this overwhelming feeling of love, because that is what humans are. We are full of love and we are meant to spread the love we have to others in this lifetime and on this earth. If you're anything like me, there have even been moments in your life where you've choked up simply thinking about someone who means so much to you. You'd give anything to see that person happy. You want to give that person the biggest hug in that moment.

THAT is the magic I'm taking about. Unfortunately though, it's not as hard as it may seem to lose touch of this feeling, especially when you are out of touch with the people you care most about in this chapter of your life.

What you water will grow is the idea that relationships take work; however, at the end of the day, it is so incredibly worth it. Yes, I'm sure you've seen the spiral on social media of videos that state there are some people who you could live miles and miles away from but when you reunite it feels as if nothing has changed since the last time you saw that person. This can very well be true, but I argue that even those kinds of relationships have a baseline of effort. What I mean by this is that when those two people are together, they are really together. They are open with one another and share their recent life stories, but when they share, they care. By this I mean they listen and they respond. They give the best advice they can and they also take in what is recommended to them.

Then there are those friendships that may thrive best through frequent communication, whether that is texting or calling, sharing photos or media that reminds one person of the other, etc. Bottomline is that each relationship may work differently but each takes intentional acts from both people.

A related aspect of friendship that I'd like to briefly touch on is that each one is unique. I strongly believe that it is completely valid to be friends with someone who isn't everyone's cup of tea. Something that I've experienced and felt frustrated about within the past few years is seeing someone get looked down upon for building a bond with a person. The worst part is when that person begins to feel guilty. I'd like to note that a connection between two people does not have to be validated by others. There may be a plethora of reasons that those two people work well together, and it does not have to be anyone else's' business.

You can let your light shine without simmering others.

Any who, a recent coffee shop afternoon with a good friend- a longtime friend- inspired me to share my thoughts on this topic. I know that I am a better version of myself when I keep my people close (in regard to what's happening in my life, not distance-wise) and have felt lost in times I forgot this. It's going to happen, especially if you are in a similar place that I am in life where there is so much change happening all the time (navigating your 20s is no joke), but I hope this gentle reminder helps you feel a little less lost. Your people care about you, and you know you care about them, so tell them that. Tell your friends you love them. :)

That's all!

xox, kat