To the person I let go, I want to express some things to you.

I don’t like to use the terms "cut out" or “erased” because you will never be erased from my childhood memories — my memories of the water, my memories of feeding Goldfish to the seagulls.

It is impossible for me to think about certain things without thinking about the friendship that we once held so strongly.

We grew up together. We’d lie next to each other on the beach, laughing and making fun of our parents. We’d always find a way to make each day a great day whether that meant walking to get pizza, covering each other in sand, or bodysurfing the waves until the late afternoon.

Even when the beach was cold, we still found ourselves on it. We were there bundled in blankets and trying to enjoy any small bit of sunshine we could.

I am glad you were a part of these memories, because they wouldn’t be the same with anyone else.

As we grew older and became young adults in high school, we became more than just beach friends. We became year-round friends and I was so thrilled to have you in my life all the time. We liked the same things, listened to the same music, and had the same love of the shore.

I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being a part of those memories. But I want to thank you for another reason as well.

Thank you for showing me friendships don’t always mean forever.

This might sound sad and even a little depressing, but it’s not meant to sound that way. This is such an important lesson and it took me so long to realize it. After we stopped speaking to each other and I realized that you weren’t going to come back into my life, I learned this lesson.

I learned that having you in my life was something I should be happy about. Not regret. I don’t regret those cold beach days and I don’t regret being your friend for all those years.

Good things don’t last forever. Everything has a beginning and an end. That is what you taught me and it has been one of my life’s greatest lessons.

Not everyone will stay in your life. Sometimes the ones you think will stay, leave. Sometimes the ones you think will stick around, fade away.

That doesn’t mean they are erased from your story. It’s impossible to erase them from your story.

I look back on these times we shared and I smile. It has taken me a number of years to get over the pain and sadness that I felt at the end of our friendship, but now I am at peace. I have found the stillness. The yin and the yang. The sun and the moon.

Everything has a beginning and an end.

Good things don’t always last forever.

And that is perfectly fine with me.

To the person I let go, thank you.