Dear friend who never stuck around,

Hey.

How have you been?

I haven't talked to you in forever, and honestly, both of us are to blame. I shared some of my best memories with you. But sadly, life goes on. People change. Feelings change. It's rare for someone to always be there. The sad thing is, I always thought that you would defy those odds. I guess I was way off.

You are the friend that moved away. You are the friend that had different interests than I. You are the friend that left me for another. You are the friend that broke my heart. You are the friend that went to a different college. You are the friend that changed. You are the friend that never stuck around.

First off, I want to say that I am sorry. Not all relationships work out, and that's just the way life is. Whether it be because of distance or lack of interest, we just weren't meant to be. Neither of us reached out, and even if we did, I'm sure the responses would be brief. Small talk. Everyone hates small talk, so why would we want to have small talk with someone that we cared so deeply for? It's easier to do without. But that is exactly where we went wrong. The lack of communicating is what drew us apart. I only wish that I had realized this sooner, and I'm sorry I didn't. Now, I'm afraid it's just too late.

Next, I want to say that I forgive you. I used to believe that we would be 90 years old, sitting next to each other in rocking chairs on the porch of our nursing home, laughing at the lifetime of memories that we shared. But that's a distant thought that now seems like it's a million years away. Now I see you around town, we share a small smile or a quick hello, and we go our separate ways. And that's okay. People change and grow apart, and there is nothing we can do about it. All we can do is try to remember the good times. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened". Yeah, that cheesy cliché actually means something.

Finally, I want to tell you thank you. Thank you for being a friend when I needed one. Thank you for some of my favorite memories. Thank you for being there through both the good and the bad (and the ugly, let's just agree that puberty was a rough time for both of us). We shared so many laughs. We shared so many late night phone calls. We shared so many plans, hopes, and dreams. I know for a fact that I would not be the person that I am today if it weren't for you. Wicked the musical said it best, "People come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them. And we help them in return". Thank you for helping me grow, and I hope you feel the same about me. I'm thrilled to have met someone like you, and to have been lucky enough to get to know you, however, brief our time together was. You might have just been a chapter in my life, but it was one of the best chapters in the whole book.

I hope you succeed in life. I hope all your dreams that you told me about come true. I hope you are happy. But most of all, I hope that you are surrounded by those who are just as good friends to you as you were to me.

I'll always care about you, and I'll always be here for you. I hope you know that you will always have a friend in me.

Sincerely,

The friend you left behind