I’ll admit it. I’m not the easiest of people to get along with. I’m kind of abrasive. I say whatever pops into my head. I’m not tolerant of much. I have many opinions, including many unpopular ones. But, I don’t hesitate to share them.

But, if I’ve not totally offended you after that, I’m a very good friend. I listen and I give honest advice. I’m generous (sometimes too much so) and I’ll drop anything to help a friend.

Unfortunately, I’m at a point in my life that my free time is extremely limited. I’m away from the house eleven hours each day. I’m planning a wedding. I’m house-hunting. And, most importantly, I’m trying to maintain a healthy relationship with my fiance’.

Forgive me if this sounds harsh, but in the little time I have to spend with friends, I want to make sure I’m with people who are good friends to me, people who make me feel good about myself and most importantly people who I have a good time with. I need to be around people who build me up instead of bringing me down. I need friends that make me smile and laugh and want to be a better person. Thankfully, I have many of these. but, as  I mentioned over here, I’ve finally realized that being friends with someone for a long time is no reason to continue being friends with them if they’re no longer a good fit.

People grow apart and that’s okay – but growing apart and growing into an entirely different person are two very different things. People get married, they have kids, they grow in their careers, they move away, their priorities change. It’s sad, but it happens. But, on the other hand, sometimes instead of a person’s world growing, their world become smaller. And, the smaller their world gets, they become close-minded, petty, passive-aggressive. And, not only that – they make me feel bad for wanting more, for being successful, for having nice things. They pick and poke and ask off-limits, intrusive questions. They make me feel like I’m not a good friend.

So, as a favor to myself, I’m saying goodbye to these people. My world is getting bigger and I have no room for small and close-minded people. Farewell, toxic friends. You’re not allowed to bring me down anymore.