This past weekend, students celebrated Black History Month by showing off their talents in a variety show, their sense of style in a fashion show and their sense of fun during several parties at the annual Cotton Club. As one of the largest events on campus, people from all over the state headed to campus to celebrate.

However, I missed this year’s festivities for a much smaller celebration. And for me, smaller proved to be better.

College is rewarding, but often challenging — and sometimes you need a break. Lately, I’ve been beyond stressed out. At times I’ve felt tired, irritable and overwhelmed. When you finish one assignment, another one sneakily waits around the corner. The work seems to never end, and quite frankly I needed to escape.

So I went home.

This weekend proved to be the best weekend I’ve had in a long time. To restore my mind and refocus, I needed to surround myself with the people who know me the best. I needed to be around the people who would encourage me to move forward. I needed to be around people who could deal with my complaining and wouldn’t mind telling me to snap out of it. I needed to be around the people I love: my closest friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I cherish the friendships I’ve made in college, and I’ve met wonderful people. My friends here are supportive and motivational as well, but sometimes you need to reconnect with the people that have been there through it all.

For the first time in a while, my friends and I happened to all be home at the same time. We all needed a break. With the chaotic schedules of our individual lives, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with each other, especially after high school. However, this weekend provided our own mini-celebration and proved to me why it’s important to maintain our connection. 

Most times, it’s not about what you do, but about who you do it with. Did we throw a huge party? Absolutely not. In fact, it was the complete opposite, but the fun surpassed comparison.

We simply enjoyed each other’s company.

The closest we got to partying was watching Beyonce’s HBO Documentary, “Life Is But A Dream,” and eating out at Buffalo Wild Wings. During this time we talked about personal struggles, such as our life plans, fears of the future, the difficulties of school and the friendships we had lost. We also reminisced about old times, which drew laughter and temporarily made us forget about the current pressures we were facing.  

We took turns encouraging each other and acting as a support system. Often, I would complain about not wanting to return to school. I was dreading the pile of never-ending work that accumulates daily, like projects for my television class, reading history and deriving topic ideas for this column. Although rewarding, these assignments prove to be a struggle for me. But my friends were there urging me to press on and not give up. They reminded me of my goals to be a journalist (It hasn’t changed since grade school) and all that I had already accomplished on my way to achieving that dream. 

It’s true. Friends are supposed to catch you when you fall, and this weekend my friends made an effort to prevent the fall from happening in the first place.

While my close friends and I lead separate lives, we strive to keep in contact. Every so often, we will talk on the phone, text, tweet or Facebook each other. We aim to cultivate these relationships to stand the tests of time. As we move through life, our friendships either grow and evolve or simply come to an end. 

The latter is all too common, which is why we should maintain the connection between those who started with you. The same should apply to new friendships as well; there were people I was close to freshman year and am no longer close to now.

And this weekend wasn’t just about me. I was there to encourage as well. With my best friend newly adjusting to college life, it is my responsibility to keep her motivated and uplifted too. They need me as much as I need them. We are each others’ support system, all six of us. 

Ta’les is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].