As time goes on, people grow and change, and sometimes the friends you had then aren’t your friends anymore. This letter is for those friends; for the friends who helped make you into who you are today.
Dear Old Friends,
I’m writing to you right now as a college sophomore who is now realizing everyone who has gone through my life. As I sit here and write this letter, I feel nothing but gratification that you were once in my life. Although we may not talk anymore, you helped make me into the person who I am now. For that alone I cannot thank you enough for being you and for teaching me things I couldn’t learn from anyone else.
I want to say I’m sorry first. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to stay in touch. I’m sorry if I have failed you in any way. I’m sorry if I wasn’t who you needed at the time. I’m sorry if you ever felt alone and isolated. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to see you become who you are today. I’m sorry that I won’t ever get to meet your children. I’m sorry that I no longer know who you are as a person. I’m sorry if you were ever angry and just needed someone to be there for you. I’m sorry.
Although I wasn’t there and may have failed you, I want to say thank you. Thank you for accepting me at my worst and thank you for being by my side at my best. Thank you for putting up with my weird fashion choices. Thank you for being the one to tell me that I was wrong. Thank you for being the one to push me to do better and to be better. Thank you for letting me go so someone else could continue to teach me more about myself and life. Thank you for being there when I thought I had nobody. Thank you for just being you. Thank you for all of it, because without you I don’t know where would be today. Thank you for it all.
Now this part is the important part. If you are going to listen to anything from this, listen to this. You will never know the importance you had in my life. You will never know that sometimes the littlest thing will make me think of you and the memories we made. You will never know that although we are no longer friends, I carry a piece of you with me every day. You will never know that without you, I don’t know who I would be. So if you ever feel alone or are doubting yourself, just know that you can do it. You can do it all, and know that you will always have me as someone cheering you on in life. Although we may not know each other now, never doubt that I will always value our friendship, and because of that friendship I will always want you to succeed. So when you feel alone, just remember that I will always be there in the back of the room, smiling and knowing you will do great things. Never forget your value and never forget you can make a difference. Above all, never forget that you changed my life, and I will forever be grateful for that and you.
Sincerely,
An Old Friend From Long Ago
