If you are like most people, you are probably curious to know what happened to some of your old friends. High school reunions are centered on getting old friends back together to catch up and share some memories of their youth. With the internet and other tools, you don't need to wait for a high school reunion to catch-up with some old friends. You can spend your time on social networking sites, blogs, and email. With just 5 minutes, you can find out what your old pals are doing now. Facebook and other social networking sites allow people to re-connect. You will be able to find out which ones of your friends are married, which ones are parents, who graduated from college, where they are working, and where they are living. Who needs a class reunion?

Once you find your old friends again, you need to give the friendship time to blossom. Making and keeping friends is a valuable skill to have and it is hard to develop. Rarely do we think about how much work it takes to cultivate new friendships and face all the challenges that go along with building the relationships. If you were to ask the best way to make a friend, the list of rules would probably start with a few short answers:

• Be yourself. A good friend remains true to who they are. Let your old high school friends know you are still the same person, with a little more knowledge, maturity, and experience! Your friends will appreciate you for who you are, not who you want to be.
• Be honest. You can re-build your old friendships by being an honest friend. You should let your friends know they can trust you and come to you with anything. A good friend will be there to support you no matter what you are going through. They will be the person that mails a letter to you if you are sitting in prison for something you did or didn't do! Remember that friendships are built on trust and loyalty and this doesn't happen overnight!
• Support your friends. When you are going through some hard times, learn to lean on your friends for support and encourage them to do the same thing. Good friends often butt heads; this is a normal part of life. If you and your friends have butted heads, work on repairing your relationship together. A friendship isn't one-way; you both have to feel respected and cared for. If you have a problem with one of your friends, be up-front about it and talk to them. Try to resolve your issues before you let it become a wedge between the two of you.
• Be committed to your friends. A good friend is a life-long commitment; this is not something you can take for granted. How can you stay in touch with your friends if you don't make an effort? It might be a little frustrating to always be the friend that is in charge of organizing luncheon, but at least you are making the effort to stay in touch.