The useless days will add up to something. The shitty waitressing jobs. The hours writing in your journal. The long meandering walks. The hours reading poetry and story collections and novels and dead people’s diaries and wondering about sex and God and whether you should shave under your arms or not. These things are your becoming. – Cheryl Strayed

Warm nights. Beer in hand. A minor case of trespassing on the roof. City lights on the horizon. Fireworks serendipitously illuminated the sky, igniting a child-like satisfaction deep in my heart. Most importantly, two friends by my side that have been an instrumental part of my happiness in the past year.

Sip for sip, we cheers’d to a number of things: to having a great summer, to not falling in love with nitwits, to never getting divorced in the future. We believe in fighting for a relationship you believe in. We also believe in not getting into a relationship unless you’re willing and ready to fight for it.

We promised we would marry someone only if we knew that our friends and family all got along with them. They have to be able to roll with the punches; they have to be able to take a joke and have fun.

If one of us marries a dud then we shook on the fact that we’re allowed to punch that person repeatedly as punishment.

“It’s nice to be single, though” he said. “I ate pizza off of the floor last night and no one judged me for it.” The three of us burst out laughing.

“You’ll be the first to get married!” “Yeah, right. I’ll be last.” “No, it will be you. You’ll get married first.” “Screw it, cheers to being single for life.“ It was the simple and immediate answer to a daunting possibility.

Here’s a simple truth: you don’t know where you’ll be a year from now. You may have an idea, but no one can make an accurate prediction that far in advance. That’s why it is so crucial to make time for moments that fill your heart with joy. There’s value in spending quality time with people who push you past your limits while simultaneously keeping you deeply attached to your values.

You won’t remember the meetings.

You won’t remember the emails.

You won’t remember the bills.

What you will remember is your friends and the good times you share together. You’ll remember the time you spent talking about a past that led you to this moment and the present that will sneak up on you much before you’re ready to accept it.

Go drink on that roof.