One of the harshest truths to learn is that not everyone is your friend. Not everyone has your best interest in mind. Whether it be due to a falling out, or because of time and distance, most people do not stay “best friends forever.” Some people are meant to stay in our lives, while others just make an appearance. Valuable things can be learned from every relationship. Each relationship that does not work out prepares us for greater, more meaningful friendships.

Rather than throwing away all the good memories you have with someone because things turned sour, you should embrace the good times you had. There is no need to push away good memories when you are trying to move on from the bad. We give people pieces of us, telling different stories from our lives. We cannot lose those pieces simply because we are not friends anymore.

I have always had a difficult time making friends, since I am really shy and awkward. Fear of social rejection has sat in my heart for as long as I can remember, but I worry about it less now. From good situations to bad, I discovered who my friends are and the kind of people I feel comfortable with. I have never had a lot of friends to keep track of, but a part of me is envious for those who do.

I have struggled figuring out who I belong with and where I fit. The times I have a good friend by my side is when I don’t feel like as much of an outsider. Good friends make you feel like you belong and that you are loved. That feeling, temporary or not, makes it all worth it. Friends accept you for who you are and do not try to change you.

I like to create meaning relationships and that is not possible with everyone. We cannot be friends with everyone, simple because not everyone sees the world the same way. Having relationships with others who have completely different experiences from your own can widen your perspective and expose you to other ways of life.

There are so many people I miss, so many friendships that could have been more if we live in the same place and made time for each other. But even the people you have a connection with are not always meant to be a regular presence in your life, just knowing you made a connection with someone is worth it. There are friends I used to talk to or spend every day with. Over time, we have different schedules and spend time with different people.

Good friends can show you a side that you never knew you had. They will make you need to pee your pants from laughing because they know exactly what to say to make you do it. They do not fill your life with unnecessary drama and stress. Good friends are hard to find and I would not be who I am without them. Whether they hold your hair back when you had one too many drinks, or they scream right alongside you on a roller coaster. Friends are who we experience the craziest times with. Some friends become like family.

It is a sad day when you realize the relationship you had with someone can never be the way it was. Because people change and not all relationships can outlast those changes. The ones that do are stronger because of it. The best kind of friends are the ones when you’re together, it is as if no time has passed, nothing has changed.

I can admit I have wronged some of my closest friends. Those who really know me, know the heart I have and that I do not mean to hurt anyone. True friendship is seeing someone's heart and accepting it fully; every flaw and imperfection because talking to them is too easy. Inside jokes run deep and will not be forgotten.

Over time, friends come and go. Maybe you go to school in different states, or you do not hang out with the same people anymore. True friends, like the soulmate kind of friends, stay with you no matter how far away you are. To all my friends that I barely talk to anymore, just know that you are still in my heart and I will cherish the times we had forever.

To all the friends I started college with, to camp friends, to my friends from my hometown, I hold a place for you in my heart. And to the people I no longer consider my friend, I hope you are doing you and can remember the good times we had. Life should not be about pain and holding grudges.

If you feel remorse for all the friends you have lost-stop it. Losing friends is a part of life and is a way to learn who your real friends are, as well as learn who you really are. There are times when you have more friends than at other times. Sometimes all you need is one person to talk to, and at other times there may be so many people trying to make plans that you don’t know what to do. Do not take either of these times for granted. Lonely times make you appreciate when you do happen to make new friends.

‘Cause that’s the thing about this world of ours, you never know when you might make a good new friend. Let go of all the old relationship grudges and make room for new friendship in your heart.