There are people you meet in life who make you feel like you will be friends until the end of time, but that is not necessarily the case. People grow and change and sometimes they grow apart. That doesn't mean that either party is a bad person or that someone did something wrong, it just means that the people you have become are no longer compatible. This is something that I have gone through myself and it is also something I have watched my friends go through. It is heartbreaking to watch and to endure but remember that when someone leaves your life they are making room for the ones you are meant to surround yourself with.
There are a few things that I try to tell myself when I realize that I may be on the cusp of losing a friend who has been an extremely important part of my life:
1. People grow apart, it's normal.
You're not going to stay the same person for the rest of your life. And as you grow and change into who you are meant to be some people no longer mesh comfortably in your life. Whether it is personality, personal and moral beliefs or what have you, there are going to be people you have to let go of if you are really going to be happy.
2. Sometimes you have to cut the ties early.
I know what it's like to want to hang on to a friendship for as long as possible, even when you can see it unraveling. Faking it only makes it worse for both people, it makes it harder to let go of something that is already gone. Sometimes you are going to have to be the one who ultimately walks away and realizes that you can't force something to work that just wont.
3. Sometimes it will be messy.
I have had many friendships end in tears, both mine and the other persons. I know what it's like to have someone straight up tell you to your face: "I don't think we can be friends anymore". Though that is the least delicate way to go about it, it happens. There are going to be times where people you thought were really good friends of yours will do a complete 180 and spit in your face to end the friendship. Just remember that those people are not worth you thoughts or your tears.
4. It's not the end of the world.
Friends come and go. You will meet new people in your lifetime, it's not the end of the world if one friendship doesn't work out. It's not the end even if many friendships don't last as long as you thought they would.
5. Quality over quantity.
It's not how many friends you have but the quality of the friends you have. I may have lost a few friends in my short life of 22 years but at the same time I have met some amazing people who to this day make me feel loved and wanted. The friends I have now appreciate me and don't make me feel like I should be ashamed of who I am.
There are billions of people on this planet, don't let the fact that a few people don't want to be a part of your life get you down. Know that there are people out there who are meant to be in your life and it just takes a few trial and errors before you find them.
