I had a good friend many years ago. Our lives were quite similar with regard to our jobs, our children, our spouses and where we lived. We had some good times together, and then a significant change occurred in that woman's life--the change dramatically changed my friend, and what we shared in life, interest, and goals changed a lot. We tried to keep the relationship alive, but it was never the same after this change. We had taken dramatically different paths. One path wasn't better or worse than the other, but the paths didn't line up and as we traveled these different paths in life, it became more difficult to understand each other or relate to one another.
My friend achieved great success in her endeavor and had a wonderful, loving relationship with her children and so many more in life. I continue to have great respect for this individual, but it's unlikely our friendship will exist again as we both have very busy and fulfilling lives on our own paths.
Sometimes friendships do end. We move on. On the road of life, we walk with some for minutes, others for days, and still more for months, years, or decades. The impact of these connections don't necessarily equal the time we spend together--a person in your life for a minute may have a great impact while a person by your side for a long time may have less. Onward.
