They say some people are meant to stay in our lives for only a couple of chapters while others are destined to stay a part of our story until the end.

Knowing who stays and who goes is a hard decision to make.

Unfortunately, we are all faced with this dilemma at some point in our journey.

Sometimes, it's a choice that is shoved to the side until we are forced to acknowledge it. Other times, cutting someone out can be the easiest choice of them all.

We underestimate the power a book can have because when we read them, we automatically think of it as fiction and that it can, in no way possible, relate to us in the "real world."

But, just like characters in books, we too are forced to deal with circumstances that make us uneasy, such as when a character in our own book of life, leaves.

I think just like with any book, it's difficult to see not only your favorite character, but any character, leave the story.

We have read page after page about them and we feel like they were a part of our own lives.

So when they leave, we feel the empty space where that person used to be.

This past year I have learned just how difficult it is to cut someone out of my book and to even be cut from someone else's.

It's not always easy and I'm sorry to those who I had to cut from my story.

Please know that it was hard to let you go.

But it had to be done.

Just because you are no longer a part of my story does not mean I did not cherish each moment with you.

The laughter you brought to my life will forever be engraved in my memory, as well as the lessons you taught me about finding love, even within myself, will be the ones I will always hold close to my heart.

You taught me that life is an adventure and that I should live as if each moment might be my last.

You taught me to love others for who they are because everyone has their own story.

You taught me that learning to love myself for who I am is one of life's most important lessons.

You taught me how to open my heart and share my own story with you, a concept that was always hard for me to grasp because I never felt like I was good enough.

You showed me that I was good enough.

And for that, I am eternally grateful.

I'm not sure where it went wrong, or if anything truly did go wrong.

I think after a while, we just grew apart, but that's life for you.

People are not meant to stay in our lives forever.

They leave.

They move on.

Sometimes they don't come back.

But, throughout my time with you, I learned that it does not matter how long a character is in my life because they brought a certain value to my story that I never had before.

I don't regret having you in my life, whether it was for a chapter, or even just a couple of pages.

Though you were only in my story for a short time, you gave life to it.

And I can only hope that I did the same for you.