Time goes; changes happen and people come and go, sometimes without control. For someone who moved around a lot growing up, friends never seemed to last. I tried to keep friends from my old schools, but it never seemed to work.

To those from my past,

Thank you! Thank you for the time we had, the memories (good and bad), long talks, and just the hang outs either doing something or nothing at all. Now, I know you are probably surprised about me writing to you at all, and are thinking to yourself why? But there's somethings I wish you guys knew...

First, I'm not mad. I'm upset that we drifted apart and I know, now, that I don't have control over this. Even though I wish it didn't end that way. However, I'm not mad we met. I wouldn't trade knowing you for anything. I would never have had the greatest friendship and great times to look back on.

I've enjoyed the time that we were friends. The memories are something that I will always keep with me forever. I was able to be myself with you, act crazy with you, ask for advice, and talk about the kid I was crushing on with no judgments at all. I will never forget all you did for me.

From being together in school, to hanging out afterwards, sleepovers, sports games (either us going or us playing), and to being at each others houses 24/7. It was never a dull moment with us, we were always making jokes and laughing at each other as well as at ourselves. People always questioned if we were normal. We never cared what they thought, it just made us laugh even more cause we didn't understand it ourselves. We acted weird so much that it was our normal.

I look back at old pictures of us and I always smile and I recall everything we did. I look at old letters or old conversations we had and I miss you. Looking back just brings back memories that I don't want to forget.

I also want to thank you because you've helped shape me into the person I am today. You helped me acknowledge who I really am and who I'm not, as well as who I don't want to be. I wish we didn't grow apart, but we did and I'm okay with that.

We are meant to grow, and sometimes that means we outgrow people. No matter how long a certain relationship, in this case a friendship, it doesn't always mean it's meant to last. They are meant to help you grow as a person and from my friendships with each of you I have learned a lot about myself.

I'm thankful and I hope you are all doing great in your lives. Just because we stopped being friends, doesn't mean I forgot you or that I stopped caring and wondering how you're doing.

From your old friend, hope your doing well.

If any of you know who Madea is, then you might know this quote from a video titled "Let them go" that has helped me a lot and think about my past relationships a lot.

"...If somebody want to walk out of your life, let them go… Some people come in your life for a lifetime, some come for a season. You gotta know which is which. And you're always going to mess up when you mix them seasonal people with lifetime expectations…"