Scrolling through social media is a daily occurrence for most people. One of the greatest things about social media is the way that it can keep people connected, even though they may be hundreds or thousands of miles away. I started to realize that the people who I am connected with through social media are people that I no longer know. Social media reminds me that life moves quickly and the people who I spent a decade of my life with are now completely different people. Here's to my friends that I grew up with. Just because I've left, that doesn't mean that I don't love you or care about you anymore.
To the friends I left in my hometown,
It's hard to believe that at one point we saw each other every single day and now we are hundreds of miles apart. I came home more often when I was in high school, and honestly, I wish I could have been there more often. I missed so many birthdays, reunions, and get-togethers. However, there's nothing more that I love than getting the whole gang together and having dinner when I'm in town. We spend the night laughing and it feels like nothing has changed. My mind is filled with precious memories with you all, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.
We throw "I love you"s and "I miss you"s around and hardly ever make the time to get together when I do come into town. This is probably the thing I hate the most. Life goes on and people move apart. I still wonder if we would be close if I had never left. I know that moving has made me realize who truly loves me and cares for me. In some ways, I think that me moving away has brought us all closer. When I come home, it gives us a reason to get everyone together.
You all are the lifelong friends that I want to have. I want to be able to bring my family to my hometown someday and meet up with friends I grew up with. I want to tell our children that we've been friends for 20+ years. I want to be able to share memories filled with laughter and love.
I know things get hard, life gets busy and we lose touch, but I want you all to know that I will always love you. I am always thinking about you. You helped shape me into the woman I am today. Even the people who hurt me and brought me down, you too have made me a stronger person.
Most importantly, I want to apologize to the people who I have neglected during my trips home. You guys are the people that truly want to see me, the ones that miss me and love me, and I tend to give all my time and attention elsewhere and forget about you. I am really sorry. I can't believe it took me six years to realize this, but I will work harder to get in touch with you and visit with you next time I'm home.
I love our memories and our times together and I will always cherish them. I'll never forget the friends who held my hand during some rough times and the friends that have never given up on me.
Love,
the friend who moved away.
