Your story reminded me of people I've lost since kindergarten. With lost, I mean really lost, like my best friend since we were four years old, who died at the age of 30. She had breast cancer. But also friends who moved to another city or chose a different life (as you did) and friendship died slowly. That is also an advantage of this project. When people write about their youth, you think about your own childhood and think about what has been. It brings back so many memories.