Dear Abby

High School Junior Suffers Loss That Has Yet To Occur

DEAR ABBY:

I am a junior in high school and will graduate next year. I attend a private school where I have made many good friends -- teachers included -- and have created many happy memories.
I have just been hit with the realization that my time in high school is running out. Once I leave for college, I may never see or talk to my friends here again. I can't process the thought of having such great friends and mentors and losing them. I'm afraid for the future and how I will miss everything I've experienced at my school.
Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with all this? I can barely sleep because I feel like it's only going to get worse. -- LEAVING IT ALL BEHIND IN LOUISIANA
DEAR LEAVING IT ALL BEHIND: You have the rest of your junior year and senior year of high school to enjoy. Please don't cloud them by worrying that you will lose touch with your friends and mentors. Once you graduate, you will have the Internet and social networking sites to keep you in touch, and you can see each other during vacations.
You have great adventures ahead of you -- and so do they. True friendships don't have to end because of distance. While some of them may, others last a lifetime. And those are the ones that count.