There are always two sides to every story, but unfortunately not everybody looks at both sides. Most of the time, people only want to look at their side. A lot of people think they know what's best for everyone just because they went through a similar situation and it didn't work out for them. The truth is, you don't know what's best, you can only speak for yourself, you can't speak for other people because as much as you don't want to admit it, you don't know the entire situation, you only know what the people in the situation let you see. You can't possibly know the emotions involved because you can't feel them, you can't possibly know every detail because you're not a fly on the wall for the situation. You only know what you are shown, what you have heard (which could not even be true), and your past experiences with similar situations.

We all have those friends, the ones who seem like they're 50 years old because they have so much life experience and advice to give away that you wonder how they went through all of that in the short amount of time they've been alive. The ones who no matter what situation you're going through, they can relate in some way or another. I understand, you love and care so much about your friend that you don't ever want to see them go through what you had to go through, but the truth is, that was your experience with the situation, it doesn't necessarily have to be yours.

There is a huge difference between a true friend that loves and cares about you and a dictator friend. A dictator friend immediately believes that your situation is exactly the same as theirs and will end for you the same way it ended for them. A dictator friend will be hostile and mean while giving you advice, which almost doesn't seem like advice, it seems more like an order from them. A dictator friend will get mad at you if you don't follow their "advice" to a T and do exactly what they tell you to do. A dictator friend won't really be there for you if you choose not to listen to their "advice" and they'll say "don't come crying to me when it doesn't work out for you" and if it doesn't work out for you they won't be there for you either, they'll just say "I told you so." Although their heart is in the right place because they don't want to see their friend go through what they went through, their actions are all wrong, this is not a true friend.

A true friend is never afraid to be honest with you and give you their opinion, even if it's a hard pill to swallow. But, a true friend also understands that even if you don't follow their advice, that doesn't mean you're not listening to them and taking their advice to heart. A true friend understands that you're going to do what you believe is best for you and what makes you happy, and no one should ever have to apologize for choosing to be happy. A true friend might know that it will end badly, but they also know that this is a life lesson you have to learn on your own, just as they learned it on their own. A true friend will be there with you every step of the way and will love and support you even if they don't necessarily agree with you. They will be there to pick you up if everything comes crashing down and they will also be there to support you if it worked out for you against all odds. A true friend would never judge you or talk behind your back or share your secrets just because they don't agree with what you're doing. A true friend will continue to be honest with you, but in a nice way to let you know that they don't agree with what you're doing but they still love and support you. A true friend lets you make decisions for yourself and remembers the times when they were the ones ignoring the advice their friends were giving them and how it feels to be hounded about not doing something and all you want to do is do it. They don't make you choose between you and them, they let you choose you and they're there for you whether it works out or not.

So thank you so very much to all of my true friends out there that listen to me complain about the same stupid problem day after day and are never afraid to be honest with me or give me their opinion about the situation. Thank you for also listening to my side of it and understanding that I'm going to do what's best for me and what makes me happy and even though you may not agree with it, it doesn't mean I don't take your advice to heart or that I'm not listening to you, it just means that there's two sides and I weighed both options very heavily and chose the option I thought best because in the end, it's my life, no one else's and I should be able to make my own choices and decisions without backlash from "friends." Thank you so much for being able to tell me a hard truth and then five minutes later be in a Snapchat war of who can make the ugliest and silliest faces. Thank you for delivering your hard truths in a way that aren't mean or in an attacking way, but in a way where you're just being honest but I still know you love and support me. Thank you for being who you are and for being such an amazing and true friend.