and in ten years, will you remember me?

Sometimes, my mom tells me depressing things like it's hard to stay in touch with friends you don't have a lot in common with anymore, because you'll all be too busy with your own lives. While I understand that there is some truth in that statement, and I've come to some acceptance about fading connections (though not affection) for people I'm close to now, I hope I never lose touch with certain people. I doubt I will, though, because they're necessary to me.

That's a funny word, too, though: "necessary". What it means for me now may not be what it means for me later. There are people I thought necessary to me in the past that are no longer: not necessarily in a negative way, either, only in that I grew up and managed my life on my own, without them, and I survived. It's not that I would've chosen that path if given a second chance, but it might have been for the best. Then again, it might not have. Either way, I think the fact remains that we don't get to go back and change things in our past, so we can only adapt and do the best we can with the present and the future that we are given.

There are certain people who are necessary to me now who may not be necessary to me later. That's an unnerving thought. It doesn't mean I will love them any less, of course, but I hope that love will be enough to keep us close to each other.

Of course, there are people who will alway be necessary to me, I think, no matter what. Just in different ways. And it helps that time has proven us over and over again. J is a good example. Sometimes we go for months without talking, but I've never not considered her important to me, or a good friend, or someone I could depend on, or someone I would invite to my future wedding.

I've known her for...five years. I wonder if that's long or not, in the grand scheme of things.

I honestly don't think I believe in labels anymore. There are certain people who are more important and more necessary to me than other people, but it's not a ranking. I don't think I can even label people "best friend" anymore. It's not the label that makes it true.

Maybe I think too much for my own good - not always in a bad way, though. I like to pretend it's part of my growing up.