Dear You, the once good friend,

We do not really talk anymore. Maybe one of us was hurt, or we found other interests. But mainly, we talk less now because our lives stopped overlapping. We do not find the need to check in with each other about how our days have been every day, every week, or even every month – because frankly, while you cross my mind once in a while, and I may cross yours, we both stopped caring enough to want to ask, to call, to chat with each other about it. Now, it has come down to you being another friend out of hundreds of “friends” on Facebook.

You should know that while I tried my best to hold on to our friendship, I soon realized it could not be held on to. This realization hurt, but reality is reality. It both astonishes and disheartens me to know that the next time, if we ever see each other in person again, we might exchange "hello’s," "how have you been’s," and then go about our separate ways.

You should know that we will probably never end up catching up, because our lives have become too hectic, too involved with others, as well as with ourselves. Maybe this time, you might go the extra distance and try to arrange a time for us to spend time together, but it will be challenging because our days and times will not align. We might try to text (as if to make up for the lack of seeing one another), but one of us will forget to respond to it and the other person will assume everything has gone back to what is the new norm.

We have become strangers, you see. Once, I knew everything about you, down to how you blinked a little differently if you were nervous, or how there were days when every word you said was profound, and other days you were just a silly mess. We have history together: filled with times when we have each struggled, helped one another out, rejoiced at the success of the other, and more.

Now, I can only imagine the person you have become – maybe part of you is still the same, maybe most of you has changed – but I can only hope that whoever you are now, you have found the happiness and the piece of mind that you were always looking for. I hope that you are on your way to achieving everything you wanted and more. At the end of the day, good old friend, I do not regret our friendship. I cannot regret the countless times we spent together. While I do miss “us” and how we used to be, I do not regret that we grew apart, because I am glad that the last time we spent was full of laughter, smiles, heart-to-heart conversations, and hugs.

Dear You, the longtime friend,

We may be polar opposites, or we might be more alike than we think – whatever we are, we have been and are still doing something right. No matter the distance or the time, we have been able to stay involved in the other’s life. I realize that all good things must come to an end, but I hope this good thing never does.

Through thick and thin, you have been there for me, as I have (hopefully) been there for you. Seeing you succeed and overcome your obstacles encourages me to do the same. I have countless stories (though most are probably trivial) that I need to tell you, and you have plenty to fill me in on. I know of your acquaintances, your special interests, your other new good friends--as much as if I have already met them – and the same goes for you with mine. We have seen each other transform into the people we are today: people who have learned and grown from our past mistakes and on our way to making new ones. Wherever we are, whoever we become, please keep being a constant in my life.

Dear You, the new good friend,

We have known each other for about a year or two now. Maybe we clicked instantly, or maybe it took time for us to warm to one another. Whichever the case, we have become semi-inseparable. I do not have to tell you stories about what happens in my life, because you are almost always there to witness them, and the same goes for you with me. With each day, I am learning that when you tilt your head to the left slightly, and squint your eyes a bit, you are either befuddled by what someone else has said, or just plain judging them (which is hilarious, by the way).

With each day, I am learning that the soft corners of your personality do not make you weak. Rather, they make you a more patient, and kinder person than I could probably ever be. Slowly but surely, you have taken down your barriers and have told me about your past, mistakes and accomplishments alike. You told me about your history and the people that were apart of it, all of which has helped to shape you into part of who you are today.

And might I add, the person you are today is brilliant. I am still learning a lot about you – and I will admit, most days we still have to verbally communicate to get a point across to one another – but one day in good time, we will be able to look at one another and just know what the other is thinking.Trust me, it will happen. Until then, I look forward to creating many more stories where you and I, where all of us new good friends, are front and center in the plot that is our lives right now.