I’ve been thinking about friendships and writing about them for some time now. Before joining the ranks of Substack I would share some “flash non-fiction” on my Insta, and this is an example of something I posted last fall.
It seems the more that I work on myself, and honor my boundaries the better some relationships get, but it took me some time to get to this point in my life. I’m curious about some of the criteria or boundaries folks uphold to ensure they protect themselves while honoring the sacredness of their friendships. Let me know what you do, or maybe what you’ve learned from ending or maintaining friendships. 💚
From one New Yorker to another, I felt this. I've been changing the entire way I see and value connection. Thank you for sharing <3
I liked this post a lot and this really spoke to me "I began to grow close with people who I shared common interests with, but nothing more, no commitment to honor friendship as a sacred space." and I think that discernment comes with time as well as knowing that there is more to relationships than common interests. I feel like what I've learned most when relationships have ended, especially the quiet endings, is to not take them personally (despite the fact I can be sensitive AF). Things fizzle out all the time, people outgrow each other, and distance can be created physically and mentally. I think there is a grieving process with this loss but its part of the life cycle for us I suppose.