Best Friends Forever Until Irreconcilable Differences Do Us Part

I’m grieving the loss of a friendship, are you?

We were drifting apart before the pandemic, but I think it solidified things for us. This one is hard because she is bound to see it. I have no intention of hurting her; I just want closure through writing this piece.

I’ve held this story in draft for quite some time, but since the new year has begun, and the wounds have slowly healed, I want to share it and be done.

Please note names have been changed to protect identities.

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

Practically the moment I moved from the east coast to the middle of the country, Barbara and I were best friends. Being in the same school, religion, and social circle will make it easy for almost any sixth-graders to become friends. Staying friends through college, separate ones I might add, is almost an art. Staying friends, as adults, usually requires common interests or beliefs…

…of which we no longer share any.

The Preface

Saying goodbye to close living friends, in the case of moving on, is hard. We are taught about death. We sympathize with those in the throes of grief, but in my experience, we’re not taught how to cope with friends entering and leaving our lives albeit a…