friend..ship..

I can remember being at recess in grade school, chasing my bff (best friend forever) around the playground because she wouldn’t talk to me. I was gasping for breath, begging her through sobs to tell me what was wrong. She was laughing with the other girls and blatantly ignoring me. She had also asked everyone in school not to talk to me and they were happy to oblige for no good reason. She broke my little 8 year old heart.

But at the end of that awful day, I had one thought that comforted me. One thought that gave me hope:

"When I grow up, I won’t have to deal with these childish situations. Adults don’t treat their best friends like this."

Oops. Cut to 20, 25 years later. The situations are more complicated on this playground, but we still chase each other around. Truth be told, we still refuse to talk to each other and even ignore each other if we can get away with it.

I think it bears reviewing; a refresher course on friendship and even more specifically, what to do if and when you feel your friendship has run it's course.

At best, a friendship that has come to an end will mutually fade away and become a good memory. At worst, we hang on to a friendship out of sentimentality, obligation or guilt and end up with irreparable damage inflicted upon everyone involved.

So, how do we know when a friendship is over and how do we make the best choice to end it?