I’d tell you that I have had friendships where I gave more than I received. Where I showed up consistently, but the effort was never matched. Where I was always the one reaching out, making plans, and checking in. I stayed longer than I should have because I kept telling myself things would eventually change. They did not. And learning to walk away from a friendship that was draining you, without feeling guilty or like you had failed, is something nobody really prepares you for.
I’d tell you about the friendships I grieved without a funeral. The ones that did not end with a fight or an argument. They just quietly faded. The calls became less frequent. The check-ins stopped. And one day, you realised that someone who used to be at the centre of your life had quietly moved to the edges, and neither of you had said anything about it.
I’d tell you that female friendship is one of the hardest things I have ever had to navigate. Loving your friends deeply does not stop them from hurting you. And it does not stop you from hurting them too. Some of the people I have loved the most have also hurt me the most. And that’s not because they wanted to, but because they were human. Sometimes, people hurt each other without meaning to.