Student Spotlight - Elizabeth Ross, New Lasting Friendships

I think friendship has a different meaning depending on who you're asking and what season of their life they are in. The dictionary defines friendship as “the emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends.” However, this is very broad and friendship is a lot deeper than just a state of being friends; it’s a bond and a relationship. This is something I have had the privilege of learning about over the past 2 weeks.

As I began to talk to my newfound friends from the program about what friendship means to them, I’ve learned how different people view the aspect of friendship. All 11 of us met in an airport on a Saturday night playing cards, and now we are all incredibly vulnerable and open with one another; it’s almost like we’ve known each other for years. One of my close friends, Grace, states, “Friendship to me means that you support each other with anything they want to do and will constantly be there for each other through all the good times and bad times. It’s someone who you feel like you can tell anything to and can feel safe and loved when you are with them.” We are not only friends, but family, and the early morning jam sessions as well as the deep conversations we’ve had have allowed us to get close like that. Another one of my close friends here in the program, Bree, says, “Friendship is the family you aren’t related to, the people you choose to surround yourself with. The ones who make you feel at home and most like yourself.”

But what do I think friendship is? Well, I think it’s about the people you meet along the way, in all different paths and places of life. The ones who stick by you when you’re alone, the ones who know how to cheer you up no matter how down you may be, the ones who give advice but also listen no matter how late it is or how tired they are. I’ve had many friends in my life, but the friends I have had the privilege of making over the past 2 weeks are friendships for a lifetime, not just a season. This is what friendship is to me, and not only that, but a bond and relationship that can’t be broken because of our love for one another.

Written by Elizabeth Ross