Friendships have always been very difficult for me. Relationships, unfortunately, weren’t the only heart breaks I endured. Yes, I know it sounds silly and it sounds like a waste but my heart just happens to be more sensitive than most. With that being said, I take my friendships just as seriously as I do my relationships…or at least I used to.

But like I’ve mentioned before, life is all about teaching us lessons and I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve interacted with and let in. I’ve had people treat me as a close friend one day and then out of the blue, drop me like I never mattered. Their behaviors changed towards me in a way that only made me think there was something wrong with me. And when I tell you it happened, literally, from one day to the next, it’s no joke.

The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.

Bob marley

But although I’ve had friendships that I’ve wasted the pain on, I was also blessed with incredible memories and people who have given me so much to cherish. They’ve given me the gift to have fun, to be young and to talk whenever I needed their support. Some taught me that the things I make a big deal really don’t matter. That I shouldn’t waste my tears on those who don’t deserve it.

Others have taught me that it’s OK to feel things deeply and that who I am should never be justified. Then I have those who have taught me that not everyone loves the same way I do. That people can change from one day to the next for whatever reason but it has nothing to do with me. Their actions and attitudes don’t reflect on me but on them.

Every person that walks into your life comes with a lesson to teach you one way or another.

And I thank them for teaching me how to toughen up my skin. I thank them for making me realize that life goes on and I don’t need them in life, just like they don’t need me. And I thank my friends who have shown me unconditional support through it all. For those who have seen the real me and know what kind of person I am. For thinking of me when I’ve thought I could easily be forgotten. And most of all, for loving me even though I’m not perfect.

There are two different friendships you should always cherish. The kind that can be picked up right where you left off even if you haven’t seen each other in a while and the ones that are the closest to your heart in more ways than one. Don’t worry about the ones who abandon you, or the ones that treat you unfairly, or the ones that really don’t help you grow as a person.

Every person that walks into your life comes with a lesson to teach you one way or another. Thank you to the friendships that have taught me how to appreciate my solitude and those that have taught me it’s also OK to have people care about you.