I'm not going to tell you that there are days that I don't miss you. We shared so many memories together. I can remember spending hours, sometimes days with you, where all we did was laugh. However, today I am more than okay with the reality that you're not in my life anymore.

That may come off as harsh, and I am sorry if it is, but the truth is that it took me too long to accept the fact that our friendship was purely toxic. I regret how long it took me to realize it, but I am glad that I finally found the strength to walk away from you.

Throughout many of the years of our friendship, I was blind to the fact that you weren't just treating me poorly, but also degrading my confidence. And once I realized this, I slowly started to feel less interested in spending my time with you. I'm not sure if you always meant the things that you said, but you often made comments that weren't necessary and I couldn't help but feel hurt from them.

It's sad that we turned out to be different people. We had shared moments together in the past that I'll always remember. However, a large majority of the time, you were putting me down. Often times, you were self-absorbed and negative, and you rarely listened or took the time to be there for me when I was facing struggles or pain. You never put me first, and I realize now that I deserved to be. One of the most important aspects of a true friend is someone who will listen to you vent and take the time to respect, care, and appreciate you for who you are. You didn't do any of those things for me, and that's why our friendship just couldn't last any longer. However, through losing you, I learned the importance of self-worth.

I have always been a strong believer in the saying, "everything happens for a reason," and therefore, I am content with the fact that I met you. You helped me realize the kind of people I truly do deserve in my life: the people that lift me up and contribute to my happiness in the most positive ways possible. And because of this, in my eyes, it is okay that our friendship wasn't lifelong. It's okay that you didn't turn out to be my BFF, or my "best friend forever." I am more content with that than I am sad over missing you; because I have learned that I am worth so much more than the way you made me feel.

And therefore I thank you. I thank you for helping me find a new sense of confidence. I thank you for helping me navigate my inner strength. Most of all, I thank you for helping me develop into a person who can stand up for myself, be assertive, and let go of people like you.