15/365.

It doesn't take one too long in life to realize that friendships aren't eternal. We gain and lose friends all the time and it's awkward. From the first time when Jane tells you that she didn't save the swing for you, but for Leah, her new best friend. Goodbye, Jane! See you in high school when we'll finally be able to talk to each other again. To college, when you drift apart peacefully or scream until your blue.

The most innocent of friendship breaking is the kind done on the playground. The friend break-ups in middle school, high school and college are the hard ones. Why? It's because you have emotionally invested yourself in that person. And usually we try desperately to make them talk, to tell us what happened so that we can fix it.

Sometimes we have to break up. Sometimes friendships are meant to last forever. They aren't built on a good foundation and they crumble. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and here's how I think you can be able to know if it's time to let a friend go and how to confront them.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How are they acting differently? Has your friend always been a little moody? Maybe they cut other friends off for a bit, but never you? Well, maybe you have just made it into that other category now. Remember that after a few days, they were besties again? Give them a few days and see if they come around. If they don't or their behavior still feels off, in a way that you aren't used to -- say they used to reply immediately to your texts and now, if they respond, it's in one word answers -- then you can move on to question two.

2. How can I approach them about it? Someone very smart once told me that, in confrontation, one should never say "you" because it makes the conversation feel like an attack. This is true. It's a tricky slope though, because if you make it all about you, then you're being selfish. Remember that your friend has their own life and their own problems. She's a part of the friendship too and you have to account for her feelings. You are probably not the only one hurt.

3.  I've done those other things but everything is still weird. What do I do now? This is when you have to make the tough decision. You can either confront your friend and ask them if they don't want to be friends anymore or you can just slowly stop making the effort. At the end of the day, you have to make the best decision for you.

Obviously all friendships are a little different and everyone responds to situations differently. At the end of the day if you are unhappy, you have to change something. Don't rush into this decision though; people go through phases of life and sometimes we just have to give them a little time.

catch you later,
Karleigh

It's really hard not talking to the person you used to talk to every day. // unknown