soso yoon

As I read the prompt that popped up on my screen on the Gartic Phone website, with my friends’ voices yelling through my headphones, I already knew exactly what I was going to draw: a guy in a green shirt shaking hands with a girl with purple hair. Those small details were how our group of eight had identified one another since fifth grade. Whether it was the short guy with curly hair, or the guy with glasses and a bowl cut, or the girl with yellow hair, or the girl with a cat, we all unspokenly knew who each character represented.

The rounds passed quickly and the drawings became messier, but there was never any confusion about who was who. A few simple shapes and colors were enough to represent years of good memories and inside jokes between us. We’ve all changed since elementary school, but one thing has stayed the same is our rhythm and dynamic. No matter how much time passes, we’re always able to pick up right where we left off, as if nothing had passed.

Through quarantine, hospital visits, difficult family situations, vacations, and even graduation, we supported one another and did it together. Through it all, we eventually shaped each other into better versions of ourselves. While I reflect on our friendship, I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter how often we talk or how frequently we see each other, but the years of growing up together and the quality moments we shared. They taught me to rely on others and what it truly means to share life’s burdens. They are my second family, and will be forever.