A day looms over us all. A particular day that is inevitable, and awaits our awakening to ourselves. This day varies from person to person, but, at some point in every human being's life, we must face the sad truth that the friendships that we once held so dear no longer captivate us, move us and inspire us.

Life is growth; it is something natural and organic that flourishes, like a tree in an orchard. We pass through different stages of life, and are exposed to different things and experiences. Nobody grows up the same way, and, as a result, we move in different life paths. Some choose to move forward, others lag behind (hopefully, at some point, catching up again). Friendships that branch in different directions are, in most cases, incompatible, that is, depending on the situation.

A friendship is a partnership; a relationship with a trusted other. In a good friendship, the individuals help each other grow. Togetherness is key to a lasting friendship. This doesn't mean being in the presence of him or her every other second of every day, but, rather, truly reaching out and genuinely caring. Learning new things opens our awareness to other ways of life, and suddenly, we feel some kind of discontent of our lives. We change; we grow in many mental, physical and spiritual ways. By reaching out to a friend who we care dearly about, and imparting this lifestyle on them, we expose them to new possibilities: the opportunity to grow together.

We outgrow relationships when our dear friend chooses to remain in the comfortable place he or she has called home (for now, until their day comes). Outgrowing friends is never an easy experience to face. It is tremendously scary moving on from what we knew so well into unchartered territory. However, outgrowing friends is not so gloomy a prospect as it may seem. Each friendship has a purpose, and that purpose is to teach a lesson. Outgrowing friendships, in itself, is a learning process. We learn a great deal of things about ourselves, especially the things that we value. From each friendship, we take something valuable and become better people because of what we have learned. So, outgrowing friendships should not be considered a particularly negative or bitter happening, but something of a stepping stone to greater things (for we couldn't get to the top with missing steps). Robert Frost captured my point best when he said, "nothing gold can stay".

Learn more about this author, Ashleigh Wolfe.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Harsh realities: Outgrowing friendships?
We want to hear your view. Write now!