The Friendships we make Along the way!

Yearly new friendships form, old friendships rekindle and some others faint away. It is a normal evolution because our life is based around so many different factors. However strong friendships are those who encourage and influence your own self growth.

When Destiny gave me an ultimate lifetime Bestie

• The New Connections:

Our profession introduces us to so many new individuals on a yearly basis. We get to work with a new team every year... staff, colleagues, parents, guardians, students etc. Your vibes may not click instantly but somehow you get the chance to explore together what kind of connections you form. Some remain platonic while others blossom.

The team you work with becomes your second family. You share your happiness, your sorrows, your struggles and strengths. Together you build connections beyond just work. Your families intertwine, your ideas connect and of course your beliefs are challenged. You may not click everytime but you get past that because you are professionals. You may not necessarily become best friends BUT you know that one way or another, the foundations have started to form through such connection.

New connections can be scary for an individual like myself. I find it hard to trust someone in my inner circle. When you are put in a situation which you can't change, professionalism takes over.

Building Connections through Common Interests

Common Interests strengthens New Connections

• Blossoming Old Friendships

Whether you have worked together in a classroom setting, be a colleague, a guardian, a superior or a student, connections from your previous years may eventually grow stronger in another year. We spend the majority of our day with individuals from work, so it is bound to have some relationships stronger than others.

Just as the scholastic year progresses you may find yourself in a safe space to actually welcome further individuals into your inner circle. You let them in, exchange deeper conversations and above all be open into sharing part of yourself with them. These connections expand enough to blossom into radiant friendships and they keep growing because genuine love is there.

Those old friendships are meaningful because they extend outside your work place too. The kind of connections you feel safe to talk about anything and everything. You feed upon each other's grooves, moods and vibes. Feeling liberated from your own thoughts everytime when you are around them. You get the chance to express yourself in depth, laugh together and cry with one another. You give and follow through with words of wisdom, while also acting upon those misunderstandings through a civil conversation. The rumours become less important because you know someone will stand up for you in your absence. Why? because they know you more than anyone else.

These kind of friendships take you on a journey far more than just one scholastic year. It continues on throughout your recess, weekends and after school too. They automatically become part of your daily routine without any forced smiles, looks and hellos.

The Sisters I never knew I needed

• Letting some Go!

Some friendships are easier to let go while others are the hardest. Throughout the year you realise that some connections simply fade away, mostly without any problems, issues or damage. It is just because the course of your life is shifting towards different directions, not just yours but theirs too. You may rekindle upon a meet up or through messages, however for the majority of it, it parts away with no hard feelings as we know they are still there.

Then there are those toxic ones, the connections which you truly trusted and believed will last forever. Those you let go through grief and mourning which in someway is the hardest of all. Your previous friendship would be overshadowed because of hurt, spite or simply miscommunication. Some are beyond repair and it is emotionally difficult to comprehend. Yet again, the toxic vibes are not worth your energy, hence once you learn to let go, you become at peace that such friendships are no longer a priority.

Worth rekindling? Not always. In my case probably not worth my efforts so I Iet it be. As mentioned I have trust issues and once something is done it's done. I move on and not let it dwell on me as there are others who are more important in the long-term. As sad as it is, we all go through it. The he say she say, the distant looks, the gossips, the rumours.... The envy! So I let it be, move on and carry forward with the other connections that are worth my precious time. Delete, remove and carry on!

Moving On

• My Past, My Present and my Future
  

Through reflections I have realised that the quality of friendships is much more meaningful than the quantities. I have made loads of different types of friendships throughout my career, some who I met face to face while others through online collaborations. I honestly believe that each and every connection is a learning experience, some are heartbreaking and others rewarding.

Now here I am sending a huge thank you to the new connections I made throughout this scholastic year, the outstanding and most refreshed growth in old friendships too. To those friendships which faded, parted or disconnected, I hope you are doing well and thank you for crossing paths with me. For the ones who have been by my side even before this career, I am honoured to have you still here.

Thank you all for sticking through the most hardest days but also celebrating the beautiful ones together. You are my beautiful inner circle of connections who I can count on, on any days.

Past Friendships which remained in the Present and I know will always be there in the Future