Dear Former Friend,

There comes a time in everyone’s life where they meet someone like you- manipulative and vindictive. You’re the child who kicks sand in someone’s face “as a joke” and the adult who will pretend to be my friend, but will continue to purposely hurt me. My mother warned me about you, and I should have listened.

Having you as a friend always seemed like a positive thing, until I really got to know you. Your true colors didn’t shine until you put me on the back burner and became “best friends” with someone else. Nevertheless, I would always be the person you came running back to if you and your new friend got in an argument or your friendship ended altogether.

I didn’t see this as a bad thing at the time, I was just happy you noticed me again. And how awful is that? You always made me feel like a second option, that I was never good enough just to be your friend. But I’ve learned better now.

You were never happy for me, ever. I am someone who tries to be kind and to support everyone around me, but you never reciprocated that. Why were you always trying to tear me down? I now see that you were the source of my drained happiness and energy. All I wanted for you was to succeed and to be happy and to this day I can’t understand why you didn’t want the same for me.

My mother warned me about you, she told me that I would come across people that would manipulate and use me to make themselves feel better, you were that person. To this day, I do not regret ending our friendship.

But I’d also like to thank you.

I’d like to thank you for showing me early on in life that friends are not forever, they come and go often. You truly showed me what a terrible friend looks like, but you also introduced me to some of the amazing friends I have now.

If it weren't for you, I wouldn’t have the most supportive and wonderful friends that I do.

So, thank you.

You can go ahead and blame me for the friends you lost, but just know that they saw what I saw in you, a cold-hearted person who strives from others being torn down.

I always said you’d be in my wedding someday and that we would be best friends forever. But you’ve taught me to change, to stand up for myself. That is something I might have never learned without you, so again I thank you. I will never forget our laughs and good times, but I will also never forget how you made me feel. Your words and actions hurt me, and I hope this loss of friendship has taught you a valuable lesson or two.

Former friend, didn’t your mother ever tell you to treat people the way you would want to be treated?