Dear Ex-Best Friend,

I thought our friendship was going to last forever. I honestly did not realize that by the time college rolled around that we wouldn't even be friends on Facebook. Now that I look back, our friendship was toxic to me, and I am actually thankful that you screwed me over.

Our friendship started in middle school where everyone was a bully and was being bullied. At our tiny private school, we both stood out. We were weird, and the "populars" didn't understand us, so we ended up becoming best friends.

From football games to traveling to the mountains for the weekend, we did everything together. You became part of my family, and I became part of yours. Heck, your family still reaches out to me, and I love everything that they've ever done for me.

I was always by your side. I took your side on everything -- through all the fights that you got into with your family to kids being annoying at school. But, as the years went on and we grew older, I started to see everyone else's side of things. Have you ever wondered why you always got into so many spats with your peers, family, etc? Its because you never knew how to compromise. The loud, opinionated girl that you grew up to be was not good for me. Everything became one sided, and I was always the one at fault. You always played the victim, and no matter how many times I apologized for doing absolutely nothing, it wasn't good enough.

Our views eventually were too much for each other. We clashed horribly. Other than your love for guns, you were/still are incredibly liberal, and I am not. I've grown up in an very right wing home where we don't take any shit, but I did. I still stood by your side through everything even if I knew you were wrong.

You hated my ex boyfriend. I admit, he wasn't that great, and I do sit around now wondering why I ever dated him, but you always found a way to fight with him. You couldn't even get along with him for me, your so-called "best friend." I realize that sometimes we have to tell our friends that the guys in their life aren't good for them, but it'll just hurt the friendship. Words of advice: don't tell your friend over and over every time you see her, that her boyfriend is trash. When you tell her the first time, she'll get the message. Odds are, he wont last anyways. It's better for you to just sit around and listen to all his shit than to bitch about him. When they finally break up, you'll be there, and he won't.

Another piece of advice for you or anyone else reading this letter: Never tell anyone that their feelings aren't important. Never tell anyone that they don't have anxiety or depression because they're life is "perfect." Odds are, they haven't told you everything, and they really are struggling. Telling them that their mental health is not really an issue makes them feel worse. I am surprised that my supposed "best friend" told me these things considering she also had anxiety and depression.

Now, I know I am not innocent as well. As we started to drift apart, I did complain to a mutual friend about you. We both did, and I honestly feel sorry for our mutual friend because she heard two of her BFF's talking about each other behind their back, and she wanted none of that, but she did end up apologizing for her actions during this time. I am thankful for that, and I still talk to her to this day.

I guess the point of this letter to you is that you hurt me pretty badly, but I've grown to live with it. I have learned so much from you randomly dropping me as a friend one day. Because of you, I learned that not everyone will believe you when you say you have anxiety and depression, so thank you. Thank you for making me grow up by realizing not everyone that your friends with are going to stick around forever. Thank you for hurting me as much as you did because it finally made me realize that I need a backbone. I can't be too sensitive because people that we love will hurt us.

I saved you from the kids at school, but I couldn't save you from yourself.

Thanks, I guess?

-- Your ex-best friend.