Not all relationships last. That's a harsh statement, but it is true. Regardless of the type of relationship, friendship or romantic, all relationships have a bond between the two people that keeps the love between them. However, not all bonds last; friendships fade and marriages end. And that is okay.
The saying "things happen for a reason" is a relevant quote in this situation. People enter and exit our lives for a reason. It may sound corny, but it happens to be the truth. I know this from personal experience. I had a friendship where all the friend worried about was boys and partying. I, on the other hand, cared more about my grades and having fun without having to drink underage. Around the time we graduated high school, the friendship fizzled away. I went to a small college to play tennis while my friend attended a large university that had a football team and Greek life. There isn't anything wrong with where we attended college, it just shows that we grew apart and wanted different things.
Growing apart means that we have also grown up. We stop making fun of each other over childhood crushes or the embarrassing moments we want to forget. There are times I catch myself reminiscing over old photographs and I ask why we grew apart. But it was time to move on and accept that things change. Sure, it’s painful. But it’s normal.
There have been other times when I try to reconnect with some of my old friends. We try to spend time with each other, but then we face the reality that the magic is gone and it wasn’t as easy as before. We no longer laugh over an old inside joke or make fun of the same things. The worst is when the conversation between two friends becomes awkward, and the friend you once had lunch with suddenly turns into a total stranger.
Even if a friendship ends over a fight, it's not like we can blame each other. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just how it is. It means that those people were not supposed to stay in our lives forever. We have to learn to accept that it’s not healthy to hold on to a friendship with some people for so long, because it won’t help us become the person we want to be—it won’t help us learn, it won’t help us grow. We have to learn that it’s not our fault nor theirs; it’s just how things are and that’s how life is.
Some friendships don’t last, and that's okay. Trust me, I’ve lost a few and I'll probably lose some more. Even with the loss of some friendships, I was still able to find my best friends, the friends who are always there for me and love me for who I am.
