A Lesson on Friendships

It’s funny to me how worked up we can get over something inevitable. The night before classes started for the Fall 2024 semester, I was a nervous puddle of fear. I desperately wanted to pretend I had a sliver of summer left, yet I was excited for the semester to start. As anxious as I was, I was equally as excited. 

I read somewhere that anxiety and excitement feel the same to the body, so it’s hard for us to know if we are anxious for something, or just excited to the point of being anxious. I was feeling the latter. I was excited for the year to begin. 

I love learning new things. Discussing literature in class with my peers and the professor is a form of self-care to me, and I enjoy it more than I probably should. More than the excitement about learning, I was excited to meet new people and make new friends. 

I am a senior now and making friends in college has been a journey. My freshman year I was an anxious and depressed mess… I didn’t make any friends (I was too scared to try).

My sophomore year was the same. I think I made one friend in one of my classes, but it was a “class friend,” and the friendship didn’t extend into the “real world.” 

When it came to my junior year, I decided enough was enough. I am a friendly person by nature, but I never tried to make friends. So, in my junior year I promised myself that I would make friends.

I talked to everyone in my class, I laughed a lot, I made plans, and I cherished the friendships I formed. The next semester came, and I continued. I learned people love making friends!

Nobody likes to be lonely in class, and it’s so simple to just TALK! 

Now… It has officially been four days of classes (my first week is done) ... and I have a new problem… I can’t stop talking and making friends… HA! I talk to people in the hallways who aren’t in my classes, and I connect with them on a deep level. We even become friends who are planning hang outs. I have made friends with my classmates, and I laugh… A LOT. 

I feel as though it took me until my senior year to realize how much love people have in their hearts, and likewise, how much love I have to give. I love making friends with people. My friends call me all sorts of names, “golden retriever” or “yapper” are two I get called most often. 

I feel like a child discovering what love feels like. It’s such an innocent form of love… love for people and friendships. I want to hold my heart and feel it pulse in my hands. I want to give my beating heart to others, so they too can feel it in their lives. 

I told myself I want to be a friend to everyone. A safe person for people to come to and always feel loved and comforted by. More than anything, I want to go back in time and give freshman Jessica a hug, and to push her to just talk to people. Everyone is so much nicer than you make them out to be in your head. 

If you have anxiety about making friends, just remember 99% of the time that person wants to make friends too. All it takes is a simple introduction or compliment. You never know who your new best friend might be. 

So, give love to your friends and to strangers. Make everyone your friend, and love unconditionally.

The world is a better place with love. 

Xoxo

Jessica Law