There is a time, a place in a friendship, where you no longer share the same life goals. Where you say you are friends with someone yet you’ve let the actual friendship slide. Whether it is your fault or not. Life has this funny way of changing you, and ultimately changing the types of people you want to be around. Sometimes you have to say goodbye to those who aren’t doing you any favors. The friends that you check up on once in a while, but don’t know anything of importance about them. Times when you realize just what exactly your friendship is defined as.

For me, it is time for me to let go of the person I once was and let my new, more responsible, and more mature self thrive. I cannot do that until I let go of the people holding me back. Not necessarily physically holding me back, but the friends who make me want to revert to my old self. Though is anyone really your friend if the only interactions you have are at a bar, egging each other on to drink as much as possible? That’s where I need to draw the line.

Recently I’ve developed some wonderful friendships and life giving relationships in my life. These bonds I’ve made with these people are true and the best representation of friendship and the goodness that is innately in people. Friends who genuinely care about my well being. Who notice little things I do and either affirm me if I am doing something they deem good for me, or confront me when I am doing something harmful. People who pay attention to me, my words, and actions because they want to. A group of people I can share pieces of my life with without the worry that there will be some form of deep judgement. These are my friends and I greatly value each and every one of the individuals I am referring to.

Yet it didn’t used to be enough. I feel as if I thrive as a better person with these types of relationships in my life yet I would still hang around this other group. This group that parties more than they focus on themselves or progressing their lives. Frankly I don’t want to do that anymore. I’ve moved on. I don’t see the importance in getting drunk all the time. I find that deep and stimulating conversations about God and life in general get me more excited now. That I feel bored when I am with these other few I call my friends, sitting by as they don’t seem to show the intelligence I know is there. While I am moving ahead in my life, they aren’t. Now I know this is part of growing up; losing and making new friends. Though no one ever tells you how hard it is to say goodbye. Because you can’t really just drop them as friends and as a person without an explanation. That causes a lot of hurt all around. Instead you have to find that courage deep inside of you to say those final words and wish them farewell.

So this is me, saying goodbye to the person I was for good. I am opening a new chapter of my life and I cannot afford to be drawn back to relive past mistakes.

This is me saying goodbye.