Have you've ever come across old pictures, looked at them and then realized that you no longer know any of those people in tbe pictures? I seem to have a flood of old pictures and memories, thanks to my good, old, trusty photo albums.
I've had a lot of people come and go in my life and sometimes I regret not holding on long enough to those friends and the memories that came with it. But then I start to wonder, why was that friendship, those memories, not worth holding on too? But maybe that's just life. Maybe life allows people into your life for only a certain amount of time, to help set you on your path, to help guide you. Because, honestly, you wouldn't have gotten where you are today if it weren't for some of the decisions you made because of these people, whether they were good or bad decision and whether they were people you regret losing or people you're glad to have walked away.
Yet, I look back and I miss the memories so much. The friends, the good times, the memories, the laughs, the places we'd go and the trouble we'd get into. I used to be the type of person who would pick up the phone and have a conversation with any friend for hours. I could do it with anyone and everyone I knew. I would be the type of person that if I saw a friend walking in the mall, I would run up to them and catch up! But I'm no longer that person - I don't have a ton of people I want to call to discuss my life or problems and I don't run into a lot of people I would want to catch up with.
And then I start to think - was it me? Was I the reason that so many people have walked away? I've made a lot of choices where I had to decide over one person or the other and some decisions I regret. I've lost a lot of great friends. But that's life again - allowing you to decide your path. Then I start to realize, because I've let go of such great people, I've come to reach a better path - the path I'm on now. I wouldn't say that my life is exactly where I want it to be, there are some things that I wish I could do differently - but I am beyond grateful for the people who I have in my life now.
I have found the greatest person to love, good friends, and I figured out a little more about myself. As I picture each and every person who has come into my life only to walk away, vanish from the thoughts, I can't help but thank you. Thank you for being my friend (and maybe even my best friend) at some point in my life - celebrating my birthdays with me, comforting me when I needed you at that time, creating many wonderful memories, fighting and arguing with me - you've helped me grow, become strong and discover the traits of what a true friend is. Thank you to all the ex-boyfriends - you've all helped me discover what I want in a man, how I deserve to be treated and that I won't settle for anyone except for the greatest. And an even bigger thanks to myself - even though at times it was hard to see why I decided to let go of so many people, it only helped myself to open my eyes to the deceitful people, the liars, the people who only pretended to be my friends, the ones who decided to turn away from me when I longer catered to them - the ones that were no longer worth fighting for.
- The Cassie Paige