Friendship | "You don't need a certain number of friends, only a number of friends you can be certain of."

It's funny how we go through school and our best friends change as often as our socks. I remember when we would have arguments because having more than one best friend at a time was not allowed. Sleepovers, sharing horrible glittery make up tips and 90's fashion was just a small part of our lives back then and I think we forget things can be that simple. 

It's all much more difficult when we slip into our teens. It's no longer a competition of who can collect the most lead from a pencil (I don't know why we did that…), it's a horrible mess of boys, grades and people making mistakes. The people we thought were friends turned to enemies, then back to friends and then sometimes enemies again. 

It's easy to get caught up in our lives and forget about what really matters at school. It becomes more about impressing people than what results you get in your GCSE's. You jeopardise your whole future for the people you probably won't even remember in 20 years time. I know that I regret not putting my entire self into my exams and I'm trying my best to get my younger brother to realise that his education is more important than some poppers in the music room. 

School is essential to figuring out who we are and the friends we meet during our time there have a huge part in doing so. Even if they don't stay in our life forever, they shaped and moulded who we are, no matter how big or small a part of our life they played. Even if you fall out with your friends and feel as though there is no way you can reconcile, be grateful for all the things they have taught you. 

Growing up means that sometimes life gets in the way of everything. My social life has suffered horrendously since starting work 4 years ago and I don't get to see or speak to the people I care about as much as I would like to (don't worry guys, I still love you just as much).

Unfortunately there is a stigma around friendship and people seem to think you aren't friends with others if you're not joined at the hip, but that's not true. Surely the ones you can go to after weeks of not speaking or seeing each other are your true friends. Friends don't just disappear because you lead different lives, the only friends that disappear are the ones who weren't really friends in the first place.