A few months ago, I wrote an article about friendships that were lost, whether by fault of my own or not. Well, I suppose this is a follow-up to that.
As it is a new year, I am starting to think about — among other things — whether it would be worth it to attempt to reconnect with any of these old friends.
Yes, breakups are hard, but in my opinion, friend breakups are even harder. That person you thought would always be there for you — no matter what — is not there anymore. Like I'd said, it could be a result of time, or, a result of a falling out.
As we are increasingly finding out each day at right now, you never know what happens on a day-to-day basis. One day, we can be there, but the next, we could suddenly be gone. And without getting the chance to "mend fences," or "repair bridges," or, in other words, reconnect or repair these old friendships that we, at one point, had valued.
But how to go about doing that (honestly, I still have no clue)? I ask this because circumstances surrounding the how — or why — the friendship may have ended may play a big part in reconnecting with friends. If there was a falling out, I'd think it was best to start off by offering an olive branch. Admitting to a mistake, and apologizing, takes an inordinate amount of strength. Very admirable strength.
However, if it ended by one of you suddenly ghosting, that may be a bit more complicated. Of course, if it's you who did the ghosting, it goes from complicated to awkward... and again, offer that olive branch and apologize. But if it was your friend that did the ghosting, there may be a little fear of whether they may want to talk to you or not, or how attempts will be received.
So, the question is, were these friendships, once upon a time, worth all the difficulty it may take now to revive them? Should we fight for them? Or should we let bygones be bygones, and watch these once cherished connections fade away in the rearview mirror of our past, as we continue to head into our future?