Silver and Gold

"Make new friends
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other is gold..."

At Uni High's Subbie Orientation, I met my class. I had come from a small, Montessori school, so I didn't know virtually anyone. At orientation, I met Heather, and I met Revathi, and I met Simone, and I met Seth, and I met a bunch of other people. On that warm August day, I was unaware of the beautiful friendships I would form over the five years. Now, for the first time in five years I am not surrounded by Uni kids, and I understand fully what those friendships mean to me. The friends I have make me laugh, cry, grow, overcome, and find the joy in my life. They changed me, for the better. Those friendships are golden, precious, and irreplaceable, and for that I am eternally grateful.

You can imagine now how terrifying coming to college was. Just like when I was twelve, I entered orientation, meeting people, not knowing of the friendships I was beginning to form. It's been a little over a month now, and I am making new friends. And these friendships are different. There are different jokes, different dramas, different things to cry over, and different obstacles. But they are new, shiny, and full of prospects. These are silver friendships.

When I was really little, my mother taught me an incredibly important lesson. The heart has an unlimited supply of love. When you meet a new person to love, that doesn't diminish the love for a previous person. I can give all the love in the world to my sister, and still have enough for Montessori friends, and family members, and Uni friends, and now Knox friends. Love is the gift that keeps on giving.

I LOVE the friends I am making at Knox. They are hilarious, and kind, and cool, and thoughtful, and interesting. I have great conversations with them. It's so amazing and I am so lucky that I get to meet cool people. Yet, that doesn't diminish the fact that I have beautiful, amazing friendships that started in the halls of Uni High. Those are friends I hope to keep forever, because they are hilarious, and kind, and cool, and thoughtful, and interesting as well.

So, when you go to college, put on a big smile, introduce yourself to people, and keep your mind and your heart open to all the possible friendships you will make. Because those silver friendships you make in those four years in college will become golden someday too. And really, life is a little easier and a lot better when you have friends by your side :]

Much Love,
Celinda