Squad Goals

The "squad" is a trend among celebrities that I actually like. Starting with Taylor Swift, female (and some male) celebrities have employed the word squad to describe their closest friends. Particularly, a squad consists of surrounding oneself with empowering people.

While I have never been one for popularity or large groups of friends, I leave high school with a group of girlfriends that I can barely imagine not seeing everyday.

Recently, goodbyes fill my life. Just yesterday, I ate lunch with my childhood best friend for the last time before college. As I head to California, she will be on the opposite side of the country, in Virginia. From 4th grade to now, she has been an anchor in my life, someone I grew up with, someone I love. We spent the past four years separated due to our attendance of different high schools, so I know our friendship can survive the distance to come. 

Among my high school friends, the goodbyes are sudden, leaving me wholly unprepared. It seems like yesterday we took senior prom pictures. Now, instead of matching uniforms, we wear the logos of different schools on our shirts, schools that span the country. We are so happy for each other and our accomplishments, but the sadness comes from the fact that life will never be the same.

We will never cram for tests in the hallways before school or stress about AP tests and ACT/SAT prep. We will never cheer on our classmates together at Friday night football games, and homecoming in college will not be the same without them. We will never again complain to each other about the daily woes of a high schooler, and we will not carpool to the nearest Panera to buy our favorite sandwiches.

Amidst all these tears and goodbyes, I remember that despite the changes, these friendships can remain. Absence and separation will only prove the true bonds of our friendships.

Thanks to social media, I know these girls are only a phone call or a text or a Skype away. In fact, we will still be complaining about chores, cramming for tests, and celebrating school spirit, just in a different way. And when life at school is too much to handle, we can turn to each other for long distance support. 

These true friendships definitely constitute squad goals.

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

― A.A. Milne