Within the blink of an eye it seemed like he had never existed. I wanted him to stay, but apparently that wasn’t the plan. It’s so extremely easy for people to disappear from your life, easier than you expect until it happens. Friends turn to strangers, strangers turn to friends. People come and go, and the funny thing is, you never see it coming. I have only been alive for 20 years and I can’t count on my hands and toes how many people I have met, had relationships with, etc. that I don’t talk to at all anymore. It’s sad. You are best friends with someone and a few months later you have no idea what they are up to or what’s going on in their lives. Years down the road you look back and randomly think to yourself, “I wonder how they’re doing?” You have no idea how to get a hold of someone you used to spend every moment with. Sometimes relationships end badly, sometimes they fade, sometimes it’s mutual, and sometimes you have no idea what happened or why the other person left you behind in this world.

Sometimes you miss the person...a lot. It’ll drive you crazy for awhile. How could someone that was so prominent in your life just back away and be gone? Why did they do this to you? It hurts and although the pain eventually goes away, you still feel a sting when you hear their name or see them in public. You’ll never know why they left. When you both fade away naturally, it’s bittersweet. You are happy to have had the memories with that person, but you wonder why you both had to change. But at least it was mutual. Other times it ends badly, and although it may have been for the best, you can’t help but miss the good times you had with that person. People come and go, but at least the memories last.

According to worldometers.info, at this very second there are 7,385,450,321 people in this world, and the number just keeps rising. You forget how many people there are to meet because we all get caught up in our own, small world. It’s sad that people leave, but at least you know you will meet more people through time. I still don’t know why some people have left me alone in this world. I can honestly say, at least in my head, I have never had a relationship with someone end badly. It always just faded. Time changes people, and people move on, whether you want them to or not. Some relationships last for years, some only a few weeks, and even though you may not always know why people leave, at least you had the opportunity to meet them. Every person you have talked to has shaped you in some way to be the person you are.

They say those people who stay in your life are the only ones that matter. I believe that every relationship matters; however, it is true that those people who stick with you through your life are those who definitely care the most. My friends from high school are still my friends. They have stayed. What made them stay? I couldn’t tell you, but I am forever grateful that they did. I get nervous when I meet new people, not because of commitment issues, but because I want to make a good impression. We crave relationships with one another. I am a people pleaser. When I meet someone, I want them to like me. We put up walls because we don’t want to get hurt. It’s understandable. Even people who haven’t had something tragic happen in their lives put up walls because no one wants to feel the pain of losing someone.

We live fast-paced lives. We see new people every day, and never know who we are going to meet, which makes life fun and exciting. Sure I wanted him to stay. I wanted every friend in my past to stay. And although I don’t talk to them anymore, or see them every day, and I have no idea what’s going on in their lives, this is my “thank you” letter. Thank you for the good memories of the past, thank you for helping me become part of who I am. I hope you are all doing well and that you remember the good times too. I haven’t forgotten about you, I remember everything. The good and the bad of our relationships. But I wouldn’t change a thing. This is also my “stay” letter to the people I have in my life now. Taylor Swift sings, “I hope the sun shines, and it’s a beautiful day, and something reminds you, you wish you had stayed. You can plan for a change in the weather and time, but I never planned on you changing your mind.” Please don’t be the ones to leave. Just because you meet new people, doesn’t mean you have to leave the old ones behind.