Friendship Story

I'm really happy to be back at Queen's for another year. Not only do I enjoy catching up with old friends, but my best friend has finally joined me to study in Kingston! Although we're in different programs, we still see each other often and do many things together.

This friend and I first began our studies together at the ripe young age of 4. Together, we went through the same school until the end of high school. We had planned to attend Queen's together for our undergraduate degrees--possibly even in the same program--but by a twist of fate (and God's work), she ended up studying at her parent's alma mater while I treaded off to Queen's on my own.

I still remember the fateful phone call during March Break of Grade 12. I was already so concerned about getting into the university program of my dreams, but when she told me that her parents finally convinced her to go to their school, I broke down and sobbed. I feared for our friendship; a precious friendship that I was afraid would drop like a glass ball and shatter. We had all heard stories of how the friends you make in university become your friends for life; and how your high school friends change beyond recognition so that when you meet each other again, you realize how incompatible you have become.

I think I started going through a period of withdrawal in the last few months of high school. It was out of fear that the final good-byes would hurt too much. Fear that saying good-bye to people we had come to love so tightly and dearly over the course of a few years would tear out a piece of our hearts.

And finally, it dawned on us! We didn't have to say good-bye to our friendship just yet. We could be friends forever if we truly wanted it. So we committed to e-mailing each other, and making sure that we would stay in touch no matter the cost. Once university began, there were three of us regularly corresponding, and the e-mails flew back and forth with a new e-mail sure to pop up in my inbox at least every two days, if not everyday.

Over the years, we have changed. We have grown up. We've gone through challenges, and we've gone through successes. We've travelled without each other, and we've suffered the same loss together. Even though I am now cynical of the term "friends forever," friendship is still a precious gift I carry carefully.

Now that we're finally at the same school (even if only for a single blessed year), it's been a pure pleasure to live a mere three blocks away from each other. It's nice to be able to call her up and see if she wants to do some of the crazy things I've always wanted to do but didn't want to do alone. It's nice to finally go places where I used to think "I wish she were here with me."

I have no regrets that we didn't spend our undergraduate years on the same campus. We've probably grown more because of it and dared to do more because of it; but God is so good to let us study together once again.

Sometimes I wonder how God views friendship. I'm sure He knows it's pretty important to the soul. God, thank you for friends: especially best friends and kindred spirits.