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How Do You Know When to Let Go Of a Friendship?
If nothing major happens, how do you know when a relationship is over?
Earlier this year, I lost what I thought was a really good friend. My best friend, in fact. It wasn’t a slow dying of the relationship, either. It was a big deal. The fact that the friendship was over was clear and unmistakable.
But not every relationship death comes complete with fireworks. Sometimes it happens slowly, unnoticeably. And when that’s the case, how do you know when it’s time to let go? How do you know you should just walk away and not try to fix things?
Not all friendships are lifetime subscriptions
I have several friends that date back to my childhood. A few are people I’ve known since fourth grade, others are ones I’ve known since high school. I’ve got a friend or two that I met when I was just out of high school and we have managed to stay friends for the last 20 years or so.
But not all friendships are meant to last forever. Some friendships are about circumstances — you’re both stay-at-home moms with small kids living next door to each other, but when one of you returns to work, the friendship fizzles. Some are just for a season — you meet after each of you ended a bad relationship, and your…