In my 19 years on this planet, I've had changing friend groups for as long as I can remember. I would always think that this group was the one that would be my "best friends forever," and nothing could break our friendship apart. However, something almost always broke that hope apart. Maybe I've lost friends because of differences in opinions, lack of time or lack of interest or even distance. Regardless of how we drifted apart, this is a letter to the friends I've had in the past. I know some of you may read this, and I hope you remember all the fond memories and stories we shared throughout our time together. I have not forgotten you, and I think about you often.
Every friend I have had in my life, old and new, has made a lasting impression on me, and I would not be who I am without these people guiding me at every milestone. Friends like these make even the toughest times a little more bearable. To the friends who were in my life at a very young age, we were young and innocent, and often too excited for our own good. You helped me become more confident and outgoing. You helped me through being the child of a tricky divorce, and moving away from everything I knew. Thank you for the crazy sleepovers and holiday parties, and for taking me as a part of your own families. You all stayed by me until I was ready to move on to my next stage. Whether you knew it at the time or not, you are the ones who shaped me the most. It's been a while since many of us have spoken, but the memories we all shared have stuck with me, even after all this time. And I just want to say I'm sorry for not staying in better communication with you.
To the friends who knew me in middle school and stuck by me, first of all, God bless you. Middle school is such an awkward and embarrassing time for everyone involved, and unfortunately, I was not spared from that curse. Nonetheless, you stuck by me. You let me open up after being the new kid in school. You let me find myself and transition into a teenager. I thought middle school was going to drive me crazy because of all the silly "drama" there. But I had friends who stayed and understood, even when I sounded crazy. Thank you for the numerous trips to the guidance office over things that weren't worth our time. Thank you for giving me study tips and ways to help me grow as a student. Thank you for letting me rant and for opening up to me. My knowledge began to grow in middle school, and so did my sense of wonder for the world. I started to see that I didn't always want to be the one complaining, I wanted to be the one to help instead. I can attest a lot of these achievements to the great and crazy friends that stayed with me and let me into their hearts from sixth through ninth grade, when everything changed completely.
Being in high school was seriously tough to maintain friendships. Luckily I found a group of girls who stood by me and still do to this day. However, it wasn't always that easy. I went through a lot of different groups of friends due to differing interests. I found the best friends I've ever had in the drama club at my high school. And even though I had those amazing friendships there, most of them drifted away too. But I would like to thank those friends I made in high school for so many things. I would especially like to thank them for giving me a voice and helping me shine. I would like to thank those people who may have even began to question me, because it only pushed me harder towards my goals and made me realize my true potential.
Leaving certain schools, or even moving up a grade in the school makes it challenging to keep up with different friend groups. This doesn't mean these friends were bad friends, because they could move on from you so easily. It simply means that they were there with you enough to help you grow. When the time came, you were ready to leave them, whether you felt ready or not. I'm still growing as a person and as a friend, but I wanted to quickly thank all the people I may not have gotten a chance to before we drifted. I still have a long way to go, but I owe a lot of my current success and strength to the friends I've had at different stages of my life. I've always had the right group of friends for when I need them, and I'm truly grateful for all the wonderful people I have met and become close with.
So, to the dear friends from my previous stages in life, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for being my friend, and for letting me be yours. I'm sorry for our distance and how we fell apart, but you are all in my mind. I do check up on you all from time to time, to make sure you're doing well and achieving all the dreams you always wanted. You pushed me to mine, and I hope you get to yours. If you ever need anything I will still have your back, like you always had mine.
Sincerely,
Your old friend
