You can never under or overestimate the value of a friendship that you hold with someone. In the last 5 years, I have been surprised once again with respect to those people who have stayed in my life, and sadly those who are no longer a regular influence.
Friendships I have lost, some willingly, others against my will and a third group whereby a friendship simply came to a "natural" end. In all cases, I am grateful for the effects such interactions have had on my life, and the lessons learned.
What is difficult to accept however, is the end of a friendship you assumed never would. It is almost as if the friendship went from day to night in an instant, where once there was a long standing, close and supportive partnership and now in its place a relationship where both parties are more like strangers to one another.You can question the why's and the how's to death but the fact remains, life's circumstance has changed, we must accept, get the lesson and move on.
I am blessed to have some wonderful friends in my life, those people who are there no matter what the circumstance, no matter what mood they find me in. These friends, in the past I maybe never truly appreciated their worth, but I do now. It makes one realise that when you have a strong friendship with someone, while it takes work to reach a level where you trust, appreciate and value each other, from then on it should be easy to be in each others company......no conditions or pressure to the friendship should be enforced,no imbalance or opportunistic methods should be enacted by one on the other. Such relations need to be nurtured and valued by both parties for there are not many people in life that you can truly depend upon, not many people with whom you can totally be yourself without conviction.
