All Things in Life are Temporary

2016 was a whirlwind of a year. I’ve said it. We’ve all said it, for better or for worse.

As I mentioned earlier, I was really trying to change my lifestyle a bit when I first got into college. I have really worked on who I am and achieving the life I want to see while I am in the “best years of my life.” With some much self-evaluation spiked with a rapid recognition that I am now 20 and have to live it up because I am 20 and that’s what I am supposed to do (right?), I have come to a huge realization: All things in life are temporary.

This is actually something I have always known, and that is why I think I placed so much importance on relationships growing up. I remember my seventh grade self strolling with my friend in the mall and asking her, “We’ll always be best friends, right?” However, we had different schedules and interests, so we eventually grew away from each other. I tried my best to not get upset and forced myself to understand it is no one’s fault, and I had great friends around me anyway.

All things in life are uncertain. Enjoy the good while it is there, and stand up to the bad, knowing it can’t last forever.

I have always been so sensitive about things I care about. Why would I want to leave something or someone that was once my world behind? In high school, most of my friends were either older or younger than me. I knew what it was like when my friends left for college and I knew what to expect when I left my younger friends: I would do everything in my power to stay super close with them. To a certain degree, this has worked. I have stayed in touch with and have not changed my relationship with people who equally wanted to put in the effort to maintain our friendships, and it is beautiful. I love the fact that I have so many friends at school, yet some friends from home are still clumped into the “best friend” category. I actually recall feeling boisterous pride when my sophomore year roommate was intrigued with the amount of friends I still had from home.

That is all fine and dandy, but there are the friendships that did not stay the same. College has really armored my sensitivity. I have learned to let things go and try to accept the mindset that all things happen for a reason. Moreover, that all things are temporary: friends, family, love. It is up to the individual to decide how he or she makes these things count.

It is completely okay to throw your whole soul into a friendship or relationship or a job. Get the most out of it. Watch yourself and the people around you grow and accomplish new things. Be honest with yourself and those around you, be kind, be ready for change that you may not see coming. Most importantly, be at peace with the fact that not all things are in your control, so enjoy them while you can.

One of my biggest fears is having something in my life that did not make a positive or memorable impact in some way. I want to look back on these years and understand why I made the decisions I did and not regret a single second. Coming to terms with the variability in life has made me a stronger and an even more appreciative person. Now, I can venture through life knowing that although things in my life may be temporary, they will make an everlasting impact.