Friendships.

Those wonderful, complicated, unpredictable relationships that shape us, lift us, and sometimes, leave us.

As we go through life, we meet all kinds of people, each playing a role in our journey. Some stay forever, while others come and go, much like the tides. The key is recognizing who belongs in which category—and making peace with it.

So, let’s go into depth about these friendships.

The Reason Friends

Ah, the reason friends. These are the ones who arrive in your life with purpose. These are wise friends, there to teach you lessons—some gentle, some harsh. Important to note, that these guide you through a particular phase. Helps you heal, pushes or shoves you forward, or even gives you a necessary reality check. They are incredibly intense rollercoaster friendships. With much fun, add great memories to your lifetime and such joy!

It could be a colleague who helped you navigate your first job. Maybe it’s the friend who held your hand through heartbreak but disappeared when their own life took a turn. It’s easy to mourn these friendships when they end, but you don’t.  As you know they were a guide sent to assist you through what they were meant to do.

They were a chapter, not the whole book. I have such fond reason friends and not many unhappy ones.

The Season Friends

These are the people who come into your life much like the seasons. They burst in like spring—fresh, exciting, and full of energy. They might be your adventure buddies, your festival-going crew, or the friends you made while traveling. Without question, always fits perfectly into that time of your life, like a warm summer evening. Sticking to you through a whole season, as if they are never going to leave.

Talmultous, intense, and full of happy and sometimes sad choas.

But just like autumn leaves, season friends eventually drift away. Maybe your interests change, or life pulls you in different directions. And that’s okay. Seasonal friendships are not failures. They serve their purpose, bringing joy, laughter, and sometimes, even a little chaos. They may not be forever, but that doesn’t make them any less special. I have had many of these types of friendships. Some have left me wrecked others relieved. I have, with a great deal of intuition and life experience, been able to catch these quite quickly and have learned to ride the wave. Until it ends.

The Lifetime Friends

And then, there are the lifers. The ones who stick around, no matter what. You don’t need to check in every day or even every month, yet the moment you reconnect, it’s as if no time has passed. These are the friends who know your quirks, your history, and your unfiltered, weirdest self—and love you anyway.

With them, there’s no pressure. No need for constant updates or explanations. You can sit in silence together and it feels like home. They’re there for your triumphs and your tragedies. They’ve seen you at your best, at your worst, and at that one regrettable karaoke night, you swore you’d never speak of again. These are the friends that go through death, divorce, and many bottles of wine.  Without judgment, just love, and honesty and are there to hold up mirrors when you need to hear the truth!

The Art of Letting Go (and Holding On)

Important to take note, as we grow older, our patience for the wrong friendships wears thin. We start craving quality over quantity. We stop chasing the ones who make us feel like we have to prove our worth. Instead, we nurture the ones who water our souls, who make us laugh until we can’t breathe, and who show up—not just in the good times, but when the storm rolls in.

So, here’s the truth: Not every friendship is meant to last a lifetime. And that’s a good thing. People come and go, each playing their part. But the real magic is in the ones who stay, the ones who become family, the ones who make the world feel a little less lonely.

After all, I thank the reason friends— for the lessons.

To the season friends—thank you for the memories.

And to my lifetime friends—thank you for everything.

Finally, may we cherish them all, but waste our time on none who do not cherish us in return.