I was in the middle of writing a post about how we help our friends who are struggling (which will also be shared quite soon) when this post sort of came tumbling out. I love when that happens.
When you live on a college campus, one of the first lesson you will learn—though I suppose it is really a never-ending life lesson—is how to live with other people. Not necessarily just your roommate or other friends, but with everyone you come in contact with across campus.
So you begin to master the art of compromise. You ignore the little things that classmates do that may irk you to no end—like gum snapping and water-bottle sucking and finger tapping. Because you have to be in class with them for the rest of the semester. So instead you ignore it and vent to a friend later who will understand and not judge you for your overreaction ;)
It’s just what you do. Because you have to—unless of course you want no friends and classroom of people who don’t like you either. Which I highly doubt anyone wants.
And because you live with—whether in your room or somewhere else on campus—your friends, and are therefore always around them, that’s one of the areas where compromise comes into play most often. You don’t always get to pick where dinner is eaten, or what music is listened to, or what TV show gets to be watched tonight. The little annoyances, if you could really even call them that, may seem huge at the moment, but really they’re nothing. And that’s what you have to remind yourself. Don’t overreact. It will be fine. Another time you will get to pick!
And what you do get in return—for this little bitty teensy weensy little compromise—is something so much more. Something so much greater then anything I’ve ever had before.
You get a circle of awesome and amazing friends.
And last night after IHOP, it just kind of struck me all of a sudden; how lucky I am to have these people in my life.
These people who are here for me through thick and thin, through the troubles at home, the perils of academic life, and the slippery slope of boys.
Even more than that, that they trust me to be there for them.
For when it’s 12:30 AM when their crush goes from single to the ever daunting in a relationship on Facebook.
When they had a lab that didn’t really go their way, at all.
Or when a boyfriend returns to their temporary homes states away.
It’s a wonderful set of give and take.
Of putting up with one another’s ticks and idiosyncrasies for awesome adventures, great laughs (that resulted from this morning’s breakfast conversation about turning one’s loved one into diamonds), and wonderful, scrapbook worthy memories.
So I have to remind myself of that when we’re all having our lovely visit from Aunt Flo at the same time—gotta love the irony—and are testy and easily flustered. These days will quickly pass.
We will quite quickly be back to our bubbly selves. Doing every thing we can to help each other through this thing called life. Together. In sync. And happy.
This too shall pass.
Posts
