By Charlie Foster

When people tell you that friends come and go out of your life, you never realize how often that happens. It makes sense that this occurs when you move across the country or have to change schools for unexpected reasons, but you forget about the major chapters of your life. At least, I did.

The end of college is one of those.

At the beginning of freshman year, I found some of my best friends. The four of us were inseparable, and some months later, I began to date one of those friends. We dated for three years, and it was some of the best years of my life.

At the same time, my friends from high school moved away. Among my four best friends, two of us went to Baylor, one went to Texas Tech and one went to Purdue. The two us here at Baylor are in completely different social circles and organizations, as if we go to different colleges all together. While we are all very much still best friends, we each have a new chapter in our lives. Careers, engagements, long-term missions, study-abroad trips…things change, and those friends are pulled away too.

I attempted to replace these friends with people at college, and I succeeding in finding quality best friends. But even those have to change at some point. As I walked home today from my final undergraduate day here on campus at Baylor University, I began to tear up. I realized that this time has come to an end, but the impact that these people have had on my life will continue on forever. I will always remember them, and I will always be touched by the way they have helped me develop into the man I am today.

So what’s the point of this, you ask? Cherish your friends and your time with them. Yes, I’ve become one of those old guys reflecting on his time with his best friends. But let me impart some wisdom to you; that saying is unfortunately true. Friend will come and go. Cherish them, and every moment with them. They will make such an impact in your life, and you may never know the difference.

I leave you with these words from Brice Lee:

“Be a best friend. Tell the truth. And overuse I love you. Go to work. Do your best. Don’t outsmart your commonsense. Never let your prayin’ knees get lazy. And love like crazy.”