True friends fit into your life with ease. They are like family, really. If there are unintentional upsets or hurt feelings you work through them and move on.
The drama queen. The attention addict. The relentless pessimist. The exploiter.
When poison pals infect your life sometimes you just need to say goodbye and good riddance.
The heartbreak of ending a friendship can be devastating whether you were friends for two or twenty years. And it can be particularly hard when it’s with girlfriends.
So if it’s time, how do you say goodbye?
It might be tempting to bust out your smartphone and leave a text or type out a quick email. Without the intensity of an in-person meeting, technology makes the process a whole lot easier.
But is it a major faux pas to end a friendship that way? Not necessarily. It may be acceptable to end a long-distance friendship through technological means. And even an email might do.
It’s in the way you do it.
Sometimes an email can give someone time to think and react to the bad news. Just because you’ve mulled over the breakup and made a decision doesn’t mean the other person is psychologically prepared to react.
Just be careful to keep your emotions in check when typing. Since your friend won’t be able to see your empathetic face or your caring eyes, be cognizant of the words you choose and how they may be interpreted by its receiver.
No matter how you do it, remember the person you’re ending with was a friend at one point in your life.
Stifle the urge to blame, be defensive or attack. Instead take responsibility for your part in the relationship.
Above all, ending a friendship is never easy. The closer the friendship, the harder it’s to acknowledge it’s over. But sometimes breaking up with a friend could be the best thing you ever did for yourself. It leaves you more space and time for healthier and satisfying relationships.
Just a reminder, do not forget the gift of friendship, we take something from each friendship, hopefully, that will empower us to be better friends and make better choices in the future.
BY MPASHO NEWS
