Certain experiences I have gone through have shaped the person that I am today. These experiences were difficult and very hard to get through, but I am a much stronger person than I used to be. You sometimes have to go through the worst to get to the best.

In high school, I had a very close group of friends. We were inseparable. We did everything together, we went to the same school, and we were like a little family. I thought we would be friends forever, be in each other’s weddings, be there when we start our careers, and be there when we start our families.

Someone once told me that you rarely stay friends with the people you were once joined at the hip with in high school. I knew that was possible, but I didn’t think for a second that would be the case with us. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. Without going into too much detail, they stayed friends while I was left in the dark.

During that time in my life, I was very lonely. They were my ride-or-die friends and I never imagined life without them. Yet, here I was, I had no one, while they still had each other. I was extremely hurt and extremely confused. I thought we were close enough to where nothing could come between us, but I was wrong.

They say things happen for a reason, and in this situation, I believe that to be true. As hard as it was for me to get through, I came to a realization that they were never true friends all along. True friends stick by your side no matter what. I was fortunate enough to find those people along the way. People that accept me for who I am. I have found people that don’t judge me for the choices I make.

This experience made me a stronger person. I have always been the type to please everyone. That kind of personality gets you into trouble. You get taken advantage of and walked all over. I was not going to let this hurt me anymore, so once I moved on, I felt amazing. I realized that people are not always who you think they are. You could know someone for years and once that inner voice comes out, you don’t even recognize the people you once called your best friends for so many years.

I realize that life happens. This situation proved that for me. It was not meant for us to be friends anymore, and I am okay with that. We are all living separate lives now and this is how it was supposed to be. I hope if you have gone through a similar situation or are going through it now that you take my advice and take it for what it is. It’s not meant to be, and that’s okay. Life isn’t perfect and neither are the people that are in it.

My life has dramatically changed since that time and I have never been happier. I have some amazing people in my life that I know I can count on. I am healthy. I have an education. I have a family that loves me. I am happy.

Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go. –Hermann Hesse