I want to preface this article by saying that I am grateful for all of the friendships I have had in my life. Without each and everyone one of you, I would not be the person I am today, so, thank you.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's dive into the heart of this article: why I'm glad some friendships have ended, grown, and changed.
I try to imagine how I would be now if I had not had different friendships over the years. What if we all just stayed with one friend for all of our lives? I am not knocking having a best bud, but imagine how stagnant we would be if we limited ourselves to have one friend. Chances are, this friend would be similar to us too. Where's the fun in that?
We wouldn't have to chance to get to know someone with a different worldview, a different religion, or a different perspective on life if we clung to a carbon copy of ourselves that we call "friend". We wouldn't be challenged to grow. We wouldn't develop into the person we are destined to be.
Whether our friendship fizzled or flourished, thank you. If for nothing else, thank you for being yourself and in doing so, challenging me to be myself.
So, for all of the friends I've had throughout the years, this one's for you.
To the friendships that have ended:
Friend, thank you for being by my side all those years. Without you, I would not have the good memories, the laughs, or the photos that I do now. We learned a lot together growing up and growing apart. We learned that life continues to change, and so do we in the process. Whether or not we knew it at the time, we were challenging one another to grow into our own person. Thank you for showing me how to be a better friend to my future friends by learning how not to be.
To the friendships that are growing:
Friend, I am grateful for the experiences we have shared thus far, and I am filled with hope for the future. You have been a true friend. You've listened, you've cared, you've laughed, you've loved and have been honest. You've been an ear when I've needed to let words fly. You've had the right words that I didn't want to hear, but needed to. You've been a source of joy that I've needed these past few years. For that, and for you, I am grateful. Thank you for showing me what it is like to be an honest friend.
To the friendships that are yet to come:
Friend, I am older, wiser, and have a few scars from past friendships by now, but that does not mean that I am unwilling to open my heart to a friendship with you. Having learned what a good friend is and is not, I promise to be the best friend I can be to you, based on what I've experienced. Thank you for giving me a chance.