No, I'm not talking about the friendships that ended in the fashion of a bitter divorce, with insults thrown and ultimatums given.

I'm talking about the friendships that end similarly to a couple who just... falls out of love. No real cataclysmic event that propelled you into this gray area between friends and acquaintances. No harsh words, no dragging their name through the mud, just two friends who simply grew apart.

We've all experienced this. That one friend who you were close with for a while, inseparable even, but interests changed and you both drifted. It's no one's fault, life just happens and when you see them from time to time you greet them with a smile that holds a million memories.

Some people hate these kinds of friendships. They can't see the point of having someone in your life for a short amount of time. Some people are ashamed of these friends, ashamed they lost touch or moved on. And some are sad or even angry. Upset that they, or the other person, couldn't make it work.

But for me? I thank God for these friendships.

Now, this doesn't mean I actively seek out friends with the mindset of leaving them behind at some point in life.

I wholeheartedly hope that my friends are in my life forever. But the truth is, some of them will be (you know who are, you're stuck with me), and some of them won't. It's learning to accept that every friendship is different and meant to teach you something different that makes it easier to let go when you look up and realize that you've drifted far from someone who used to stand right next to you.

We can't be expected to keep every single friend we've ever had for the rest of our lives. Some friends are forever friends, friends that will stand next to you on your wedding day and push your wheelchair when you're 80. Some are lessons, and some are meant for a specific time and place to help shape pieces of the foundation of who you are.

I've had my fair share of these friendships, and I'm so grateful for them. Even though I don't remain close with these people, they still hold a very special place in my heart because of who they are as human beings and the things they taught me.

They taught me that every relationship, no matter how long it lasts, has significance. From these close friends who I may have only had for a short time, I learned the value of a good listener. I learned that it's okay to wear your heart on your sleeve, and I learned to never judge a book by its cover.

The most important thing to know is that people grow apart for a reason. Sometimes we need certain people close to us, or not close to us, in order to grow and become who we're meant to be. When I think back to friends that I don't have much contact with anymore, rarely are my thoughts sad. I look back on all of the memories I shared with those people and they genuinely make me smile.

To the friends that I talked to every day for a long time, then slowly but surely we grew apart only to barely speak at all, know that I'm grateful for whatever time we spent sharing laughs and heartaches and milestones.