One of the most difficult parts of life and growing up is when you realize that you no longer have much in common with someone who once was a great friend.

Perhaps you grew into maturity and they haven’t gotten there yet or maybe they became interested in things that you don’t care for. Despite the reason that led you to your realization, you’re here at this conflict of whether to extinguish the friendship or to pretend like nothing has changed.

A difficult decision indeed.

On the one hand, you two have shared good times together, known each other for months, even years and hold the same memories of being happy together.

On the other hand, now, your time spent together is awkward, littered with small talk that lacks depth because you no longer relate to each other on that deeper level. You don’t know this person anymore, they’re a stranger again. The more you get to know this new person, the more you find the two of you may not be meant to be friends anymore.

It’s a sad truth but, a part of life all the same.

People change, it’s a great thing that gives us all the opportunity to become better people, and it gives us an opportunity to take steps toward becoming the people we are meant to be. It means we can make mistakes but we can learn not to make them again.

It means we do not have to remain stagnant and if we don’t like the direction our lives are going we can take a different path.

Change is a beautiful thing and it keeps life variable, not to mention interesting. When people change, it’s okay. If your friend changes and you no longer get along with them, it’s okay to not be friends anymore. Everyone comes in and out of our lives for a reason and we learn something from everyone we cross paths with. This person you’ve grown apart from has taught you what you need to know and it’s time for them to fall out of your life.

Have no fear, do not be sad and hold no regrets because life is a cycle, and no sooner should one person leave your life, another person will enter it.The cycling of people in and out of your life will never end but that’s a good thing because it means, at least, you’ll never get bored.