As I grow older, I have started to accept something that has not always been easy for me to accept.

It is okay to drift apart from some friends.

The concept of a friendship ending without closure is scary to me. I used to not understand how people could just stop speaking to each other and have that be the end of it. As I have grown older, I have watched relationships drifting and have even experienced it for myself -- and I have come to realize that, many times, it is for the best.

Naturally, people are going to change and grow up. It's life, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. This change creates differences between people that were not previously there. Such differences can bring friends closer together -- or cause disputes that you would never have expected. From this, you learn. You learn what you need. You learn what you deserve. If somebody is not giving you what you need and deserve, then they are not worthy of your time and efforts. Putting in 110 percent for people who give only you 30 percent back is not fair to you.

Going away to school forces you to realize who your true friends are. They are the ones who still make an effort, even though they can't be close to you. They are the ones who will help you when you need it, regardless of distance. They are the ones who can make you happy, however many miles away they are.

Although it is difficult to move on, and this sounds cheesy, it gets better with time. Eventually, the right people come into your life. When they do, it is all worth it.