Going Back in Time

So, tonight I randomly decided to look at some of my old albums on Facebook (basically, I got really bored of the RHNY reunion). Anyway, despite Facebook's creepiness at times it is kind of a nice way to reminisce, at least for me, on "old times." Yes, I know I'm 19, which qualifies me as still being a kid, but oh well. Once I got over the "wow, I was so skinny my first 3 years of high school" shock, I noticed something...a few of the girls that I was "best friends" with my freshman year of high school removed their tags of pictures of us. Really? OK, I know, it's Facebook, and being friends with someone on Facebook is like shaking their hand, but honestly, just because we're not friends you have to un-tag yourself from pictures? It wasn't like we had a big fight, we just kind of drifted. But I digress...
For me, it was kind of fun to leave myself tagged in stupid pictures. Facebook has the function where on the right side of the screen it will show you old pictures of your friends, and my wonderful hallmates and I had endless hours of entertainment this past year laughing at each other and the "mirror pics" we used to take, and laughing at the pictures that were funny at the time but now just look dumb. Looking through the old pictures reminded me of various stages of my life. There are pictures that I look at and think "I was so uncomfortable with that group of people" and pictures that bring a smile to my face because I remember the late night sleepovers with some of the sweetest girls I've ever known. It's nice to kind of look back and remember how close you were with certain people. There's a magnet on my fridge at home that someone gave to my mom and it says "friends are the family you choose for yourself," and it's so true. I can look at all of those pictures and remember what distinctly drew me to that person in the picture with me. Even though we're not best friends anymore, some of the people I don't talk to, some I just keep their numbers in my phone for "just in case," and some I do try to catch up with every once in a while, and some I'm still good friends with, I know they were in my life for some specific purpose. Even though neither of us realized it, I needed them at one point and they needed me. I'm so grateful for every moment of my life, be it good, bad, or ugly, because it made me who I am.