Two Different Paths

6 years old

It's the first time you meet each other. You can't remember most of the details besides the fact that the two of you became close and that you wanted to see them again.

Soon enough your parents are arranging playdates for the two of you and you're sad when it's time to leave.

"Quick! Hide behind the couch so you don't have to go home!" Your friend exclaims.

Unfortunately you're caught and still have to return home but you'll see your friend again soon.

8 years old

You and your friend have the same interests and want to join a club for that shared interest. The time you spend together at that club begins to expand outside of the club time frame.

Eating out afterwards. Having sleepovers. Showing up early just to see each other sooner. Getting rides together and begging whoever was driving to go through the McDonald's drive through after the club activity.

10 years old

Sleepovers happen quite frequently and the two of you are always staying up way too late watching scary videos you found in YouTube. You'd convince yourself that it wasn't that scary, but the fear you felt while trying to fall asleep said otherwise.

"Hey hey wake up!" You whispered as you shook your friend from their slumber. "I can't sleep, what if the demons get me! It's 3am you know!" "Don't worry," your friend reassured. "I'll stay up with you until it's 4am," they said. "That way we'll be together until 3am is over."

You were very grateful for that and knew that if your friend ever needed comfort, you would be there for them.

11 years old

Nothing has really changed other than you two have gotten even closer. You would consider this person your best friend and they consider you their best friend.

You two are very open with each other and are always each other's support system. You two have average communication with each other over text because you both want to wait to tell your sorties in person.

Everyone else can see it too. How good you two are to each other. You both have other friends but youre both each other's number 1.

12 years old

Your friend expresses an interest in a different hobby. One that would have to make them leave the club the two of you already joined and have spent so much time together in. It's one of the ways you two have gotten so close. Shared experiences.

None the less, you tell your friend that no matter what they choose you will always support them and be by their side. Besides you two could find time to hang even if you weren't in the same club. That's what friendship is all about right?

Going the extra mile for each other?

13 years old

Your friend has official left the club you both joined together to pursue their other interest. That was ok with you. You both excelled at what you were doing and were both enjoying it.

You'll never admit it out loud but you wanted to follow your friend into their new club even though you knew it wouldn't be a good fit for you. You knew you would miss spending all that time together.

Even though the two of you have found separate interests you're still good friends. Maybe you're not as close as you used to be but you still hang out every now and then. You two still have a healthy friendship.

14 years old

You haven't seen each other in months and neither of you have reached out to each other to change that. When you do see each other again it's not as exciting as you thought it would be.

You don't have as many shared experiences, you both have different interests, you both have started down different paths. You guys still find little things to talk about. The basics. School, crushes, family gossip. But it feels like there is nothing left to talk about.

But how could that be? You guys haven't seen each other in months. Surely you must have lots to talk about!

Even though all that time has passed, the two of you just don't have anything to say.

15 years old

You both tried. You both tried one last time to see if this friendship was going to hold. But it just didn't. Your ideals are different, you both have grown into to different people shaped by their interests and experiences. And although you would like to see this friendship last... there is just no point in pushing it.

If the two of you have already set out on two different paths, there was no point in trying to stretch the friendship. No point in trying revive something that died long ago.

But that didn't mean you weren't both good people. The two of you had just grown up and found the things in life you love and those things just don't align as much as they did when you two were kids.

The two of you never verbally said goodbye. You didn't have to. You both already knew. Knew that it was over. You two were on two different paths in life.

16 years old

You still think about them sometimes. You hope they're doing well. Hope that they are excelling in whatever it is that they are pursuing. Sometimes you think to yourself, "If I did things differently, would we still be friends?"

But you would always shake your head and tell yourself that there is no point in dwelling over the past when you can't change it.

Just because your friendship was over with that person, didn't mean that you didn't enjoy every moment you spent with them. It didn't mean you regret all that you spent with them. Because that time with them brought you joy for many years.

The state of your friendship now shouldn't discredit all the happy memories the two of you shared together.

Even though the two of you are walking different paths in life, doesn't mean you should look back on those memories with them and be sad. Be happy that you got to experience them. At first you may not feel so happy about no longer seeing that person you once called your best friend, but with time you'll see that you shouldn't go on living your life sad about what it could have been.

Focus on where you are now because that's what's most important. Everything that will make a difference in your life is happening right now. So don't let that chance slip through your fingers.

Even though the two of you walk different paths, you were both a wonderful experience to each other.

Fin.

A/N: this was written to find comfort and closure for myself and I hope anyone reading this can find that to.