Unfortunately, most friendships come to an end. Whether you slowly start to fade away or things end in an all-out war, not all friendships are meant to last a lifetime. It's an unfortunate truth that I've come to realize as I've grown. The person who used to be with you every step of the way, laughing with you at your highs and helping your mend your broken heart during your lows, can one day no longer be in your life. That's something that eventually we'll all have to accept.

When I think about friendships, I instantly am drawn back to my first elementary school friends. Most of those friendships were gone before I turned 10 and didn't really fit in with them anymore. That's when I rebuilt, and made new friends, that stayed with me through most of middle and high school. Once high school came around and I started to change more, I made new friends, who unfortunately I don't really speak too much anymore due to me moving away to go to school and us just generally taking different paths in life. Then came college, a time where I was forced to make new friends because I knew no one on campus. Although it took me a bit to get comfortable, I eventually made SO many amazing friends. Unfortunately, most of those friendships have ended, too, for a variety of different reasons ranging from moving away from the freshman year floor and never seeing each other again to huge fights and blocking each other on all social media. If they haven't completely ended, we're basically in this lull where we don't really talk to each other much but support each other virtually through likes, comments, and the occasional Snapchat. When I think about friendships, I think about how I honestly don't know if I have more than just a couple of friends, even if I am friendly with nearly everyone I know.

To all the friends I've lost along the way, whether we just faded out, realized we were no longer compatible or blocked each other to the point where I'm not sure if you'll ever find this, I want you to know I'm still rooting for you. I take my friendships seriously and have a lot of love for people in general. If you were ever a friend to me, you will always be a friend to me. Even if we haven't talked in five years, I'm still rooting you on from a distance, admiring your social media posts and hoping that your life really is shaping up like you want it to be.

To all the friends I've lost along the way, I'm sorry that things ended. Even if it isn't my fault, I still take part of the blame. I know that a lot of the time the end of a friendship is a natural thing and something that cannot be avoided, but if I could have things my way, every friend I've ever made would still be my friend to this day. I don't like conflict, especially when that conflict is with people who are important to me. I'm sorry that I couldn't always be the perfect, reliable friend that you needed. I've learned something from every friendship that has ended, and I hope that this will make me a better friend in the future.

To all the friends I've lost along the way, the memories we share together will last me a lifetime. The best memories I have from my life are memories that I share with friends. You made my life brighter, even if only for a short time. I hope that the friendships that you have now make your life as bright as you made mine. I hope that you never feel lonely and like no one cares, and if you do, know exactly who you can reach out to regardless of where life has taken us.

To all the friends I've lost along the way, thank you. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for making me realize what kind of friend I should be and what kind of friend I deserve. Thank you for allowing me to feel comfortable sharing my darkest secrets with someone and for holding those secrets close to your heart, even years after you first heard them.

To all the friends I've lost along the way, if you ever need a friend, you have one in me. We can skip the awkwardness and get right back to where we ended.