Quality not Quantity

As I get older, I have come to realise that it really is true when people say 'it's about quality, not quantity'.

In particular, the subject of friends.

After all is said and done, there are but a handful of people I would consider to be 'quality' friends. They know who they are and it goes without saying that we will be friends until our dying days. Our friendships have stood the test of time and space, challenges and chapter changes, and are filled with wonderful, warm, funny memories that only we can relate to.

Some may accuse me of being disloyal, moving on from friendships like they have an expiry date. Well let me tell you, some of them do. Just like a relationship gone bad, sometimes it's best to move on, take the friendship for what it was and realise what it can no longer be.

There is nothing quite as exhausting as a friendship that takes so much work to maintain and offers so little value in return. And yes, friendships should offer you value - why on earth would you want a friend that does nothing but bring you down, make you question yourself, your views, make you paranoid, lowers your self esteem and compromises your reputation all in return for your patience, advice, friendship and support? Friendships shouldn't be that draining, that's just not what they are there for and a person can only take so much before cutting ties.

On the flip side, it is unfair to falsely give your friendship to someone and have them believe that you admire and respect them. That's not being true to them and it is definitely not being true to yourself.

I have learnt the hard way that it's OK to no longer relate to someone and grow distant, especially if the path they have chosen is not one you wish to travel down.

In saying that, there are definitely people from my past that I wish I had stronger relationships with today. People that I know I gave up on, had silly little falling outs with, or just gradually stopped talking to. It's the ones that I know are toxic that I have no regrets over.

Life is way less stressful when there are fewer things to stress about....