Yesterday was the International Day of Friendship. Of course, this got me thinking about my friends. How those friends have changed (in some cases) over the years, and why those changes happened. The truth is we all have friends. It doesn’t matter if you are someone with two close friends or 20, we all have someone in our lives who we count on to allow us to vent. Someone who will enable us to work through our struggles while enjoying a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. They let us rant and cry while they listen to us, without trying to fix our problems. No one would survive this crazy journey in life without them.
Over the years, I’ve moved a lot. I sometimes went to more than one school in a year as a child. Which meant I didn’t carry a lot of friends throughout my life. It is one of the reasons I enjoy change so much, but with that came an inability to stay in touch (before the internet) long term. I don’t have friends I went to grade school with that are still a part of my life. I don’t have friends in my life who were a part of those awkward pre-teen years. Honestly, even if I did, in the last few years, I’ve changed so much that I don’t know if they would still be my friends.
All this to say, as we grow, we change the things we expect from life. What we want out of life changes, and if those friends aren’t willing to change with you, they may no longer fit into your life as you move forward.
As an adult, I’ve been blessed to have several people come into my life who have helped me grow, change and evolve into who I am today. I know that as I continue to grow and change over the years, I will meet more beautiful people who contribute to that.
The truth is that rarely do we keep all the friends we make along the journey of life into adulthood. You may keep one or two of your grade school or high school friends, but most of us tend to outgrow those people. We find other friends who think and feel the way we do about life, politics and the world we live in as we build the life of our dreams.
Social media has made it easier for us to stay connected in this crazy world we are in, but the real question is, should we stay connected to people we have outgrown?
Does it make sense for you to stay friends on social media with people you no longer speak to regularly?
Do you consider those on social media that you don’t speak to regularly, friends or acquaintances?
I’ve spent the last few days thinking about those questions, and I know my answer. I know what makes sense to me. Do you know the answers for yourself?
Who you are today is not who you were six months ago. Who your friends are isn’t the same as who they were when you met them. Does your friends’ list need to evolve?
If your friends’ list hasn’t changed over the years like mine has, ask yourself why. Ask yourself if the people closest to you align with your goals and dreams. Can they support you and help you get to where you want to go?
Remember……..
