To me, family is what you make of it. For many people, family goes beyond blood. Family can be friends, pets and so on. Besides my biological sister, I have several friends I consider family.

To me, calling someone your brother or sister means a much deeper relationship than an ordinary friendship.

A brother or sister is someone who understands you much more than just the surface. Brothers and sisters, at least to me, are there for you through thick and thin. Blood is what makes you related, but loyalty is what makes you family.

So over the years the words brother, sister, and family have evolved to have a much deeper meaning in my life. From high school, I have two friends who are my brothers. We grew up together and make the effort to keep in contact even when we can not see each other.

However, I have been guilty of falling out of contact. This is why family is what you make of it. You could have a friend that becomes much more than that, but without making some sort of effort, things can just fall apart. That is life.

The memories are still there, the pictures are still saved on your phone, but unfortunately more memories will not be made without making that effort. I am a nostalgic person, and I often think about the friends I have made who have become my brothers and sisters. But the changing times of life take hold and people move on.

Another example of this was my time in the army reserves. For three years, I made friends and one who was truly like a brother to me. We will share the occasional text and funny meme but it is not the same. When I left my unit, I was very sad and felt like I was leaving behind a family. That was hard.

College is another example of losing friends throughout life. The beginning of this semester in ROTC, my military class of eight and I have become closer than ever. When you are forced into leadership positions and work and see each other everyday, it’s hard not to become close.

The sad reality of this closeness though is that after we commission into the army, we will all go into separate jobs spread across the country. One of friends, especially, is someone I hope to remain in contact with. He is a good, honest guy.

Do not get me wrong; I don’t drop people out of my life like trash. The friends I have made will forever be in my heart. They have become my family and always will be. But you also have to remember that life goes beyond college.

The people you party with at homecoming and the friends you see in class everyday, you may never see again. People come and go, but true friends that have become family will stand the test of time even if you do not see them on a regular basis.

So, final food for thought, enjoy the time now you have with friends but be prepared when the time flies by.

Life has a funny way of putting people in our lives and then taking them out. In a way, things happen for a reason.

Ben Leman is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at bhleman@eiu.edu.