I’ve written before about friendships and how letting go of the past can really hurt. This week I was talking to a very good girlfriend of mine about a friendship that has turned sour and is now just hurting.
It got me thinking about life today and how social media can have a toxic effect on friendships. I’m sure you’ve all felt it, those ‘friendships’ on Facebook that you really should remove because all you’re doing is reminding yourself of what used to be. You don’t even converse with that social media profile anymore. But subsequently you find out that they’re getting married and you are most definitely not invited to the wedding.
You ‘overhear’ conversations on Twitter between friends and realise that they’re growing closer whilst you’re left behind. What did we do when social media didn’t exist? Did we overhear whispered conversations? Were we shown photographs of days out that we weren’t part of? I know it happened. I remember feeling left out of a friendship when I was in my teens. It hurt then and fading friendships hurt now.
Life and experience have taught me to let go. Where to invest my energy and where not to. If you fear a friendship is failing, pick up the phone, arrange a tea and cake date, write a letter. Do what you can to save it. But here’s a tip from me – if all your left with are tears and a broken heart, hit ‘unfollow’ and hug someone who loves you.