Parting with a friend


▷ 101 Emotional Goodbye Quotes For Friends

Some deep words can touch your heart if you have ever had to bid farewell to a friend.

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Goodbyes are never easy, particularly if they involve close friends. When a simple bye cannot sum up the cherished friendship between you and your friend, goodbye quotes for friends can convey your sentiments. Friends play many roles in your life. They are your biggest cheerleader and your closest confidant. You can use these quotes to tell them how much you will miss them and how your bond has helped you grow. Our collection of beautiful goodbye quotes for friends helps you say goodbye in a meaningful way. Take a look.

In This Article

101 Goodbye Quotes For Friends

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  1. “You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” – E.B. White
  2. “We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there. ” – Pascal Mercie
  3. So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” – Helen Keller
  4. “I will always cherish all those moments we spent together, all those laughter we shared, all those stories we told. Farewell, my friend!” – Anonymous
  5. “I have to say goodbye to you now but always keep in mind that we will meet again soon. You will always be in my heart!” – Anonymous
  6. “You have not just been a friend to me, you have been a family, a home, a shoulder to cry on. I’ll miss you! Goodbye and good luck!” – Anonymous
  7. “Adios, friend! We may not meet every day, but you will always be in my thoughts!” – Anonymous
  8. “Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, though somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.” – Anonymous
  9. “Good friends never say goodbye. They simply say “See you soon.” – Anonymous
  10. “Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn’t count miles, it’s measured by the heart. ” – Anonymous
  11. “You and I will meet again, When we’re least expecting it, One day in some far off place, I will recognize your face, I won’t say goodbye my friend, For you and I will meet again.” – Tom Petty
  12. “To part is the lot of all mankind. The world is a scene of constant leave-taking, and the hands that grasp in cordial greeting today, are doomed ere long to unite for the last time, when the quivering lips pronounce the word – Farewell.” – R.M. Ballantyne

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  1. “Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau
  2. “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  3. “Man’s feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell.” – Jean Paul Richter
  4. “Our friendship has taken me on a magical journey which will never come to an end. Even though you are going away, we will never stop being friends. Goodbye.” – Anonymous
  5. I will force myself to say the word goodbye, but my heart will never mean it. Goodbye.” –Anonymous
  6. “I never thought saying goodbye would hurt this much. Be safe wherever you go. Goodbye dear friend!” – Anonymous
  7. “The warmth of your friendship kept me alive all these years. Only if you knew how hard it is for me to say goodbye to you!” – Anonymous
  8. “It’s hard to accept that the crossroads of destiny is making us part. I will miss you! Take care.” – Anonymous
  9. “The only reason I am happy saying goodbye is that I know that life will find a way to bring us back together again. Farewell.” – Anonymous
  10. “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” – Confucius
  11. “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  12. “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” – Clarence The Angel
  13. “No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth. ” – Robert Southey

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  1. “Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  2. “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” – Garrison Keillor
  3. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Semisonic
  4. “This is the beginning of anything you want.” – Anonymous
  5. “Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.” – William Shakespeare
  6. “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go” – Oscar Wilde
  7. “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coelho

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  1. “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” – Anatole France
  2. “Goodbyes make you think. They make you realize what you’ve had, what you’ve lost, and what you’ve taken for granted.” – Ritu Ghatourey
  3. “It’s sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life, starts with goodbye. ” – Carrie Underwood
  4. “I can’t remember all the times I told myself to hold on to these moments as they pass.” –Counting Crows
  5. “You never really leave the place you love. You take part of it with you and leave part of you there.” – Anonymous
  6. “Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime. We’ll take the best, forget the rest, and someday will find that these are the best of times.” – Styx
  7. “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” – Flavia Weedn
  8. The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.” – Wendy Wunder
  9. “Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” – Dr. Suess
  10. “The two hardest things to say in life is hello for the first time and goodbye for the last.” –Moira Rogers
  11. “It takes a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye. ” – Anonymous
  12. “Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.” – Trey Parker
  13. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller
  14. “I hate the feeling when you have to say goodbye to someone you want to spend every minute with.” – Anonymous
  15. “Goodbye is the hardest thing to say to someone who means the world to you, especially when goodbye isn’t what you want.” – Anonymous
  16. “Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.” – Dave Mustaine
  17. “There are far better things ahead than we ever leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis
  18. “Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love.” – George Eliot
  19. “What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? – it’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” – Jack Kerouac
  20. “The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.” – Nicholas Sparks
  21. “When I had to say goodbye to you, my love, it was like saying goodbye to my life.” – Anonymous
  22. “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” – Tim McGraw
  23. “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” – T.S. Eliot
  24. “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.” – Rumi
  25. “The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” – Charles Dickens
  26. “You know it’s love when you have been saying goodbye for how many times but still you’re not ready to leave.” – Anonymous
  27. “There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart. ” – Mahatma Gandhi

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  1. “We’ll meet again, Don’t know where, don’t know when, But I know we’ll meet again, Some sunny day.” – Vera Lynn
  2. “Life is not the amount of breaths you take. It’s the moments that take your breath away.” –Hitch
  3. “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” – Benjamin Button
  4. “Sunsets are proof that endings can be beautiful.” – Buddha
  5. “You may not always end up where you thought you were going. But you will always end up where you are meant to be.” – Anonymous
  6. “You’ve changed me forever. And I’ll never forget you.” – Kiera Cass
  7. “This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you.” – Nicholas Sparks
  8. “I thank you for your part in my journey.” – Anonymous
  9. “I have learned along my journey that letting go doesn’t mean loving less.” – Alex Elle
  10. “Saying goodbye is the hardest solution of any problem. But sometimes it’s the only choice we have…” – Anurag Prakash Ray
  11. “You get a strange feeling when you leave a place. Like you’ll not only miss the people you love, but you miss the person you are at this time and place because you’ll never be this way ever again.” – Azar Nafasi
  12. “At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” – Anonymous
  13. “Even if we can’t be together in the end, I’m glad that you were a part of my life.” –Anonymous
  14. “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss
  15. “You had me at hello, goodbye and everything in between.” – Shannon L. Alder
  16. “Life is a journey that lets you befriend many people on your way. But only a few are capable of staying in your heart forever. Goodbye my friend!” – Anonymous
  17. “It doesn’t matter where life takes us, you and I both know that we will meet again and make some wonderful memories. Till then, goodbye my dear friend!” – Anonymous
  18. “Always remember my dear friend that no distance is big enough to resist us from meeting again. Go where life must take you. My prayers will always be with you!” – Anonymous

Friends are the family you choose. So, make sure to find the right words to make the goodbye memorable and smooth. Let your close friends know you will always be there for them with these funny quotes.

Related: Cute Missing Friends Quotes For Your Far Away Bestie

Funny Goodbye Quotes For Best Friends

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  1. “If lovers can be in long-distance relationships with each other, why can’t we be in a long-distance friendship? Goodbye and cheers.” – Anonymous
  2. “True friends don’t say good-bye, they just take extended leaves of absences from each other.” – Anonymous
  3. “This isn’t personal, Kay. This is business.” – Al Pacino
  4. “Don’t ever tell anyone anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” – J.D. Salinger
  5. “Bye Felicia!” – Ice Cube
  6. “It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” – Ernie Harwell
  7. “A man never knows how to say goodbye; a woman never knows when to say it.” – Helen Rowland
  8. “It is so hard to leave – until you leave. And then it is the easiest thing in the world.” – John Green
  9. “I’ll see you in another life. When we are both cats.” – Tom Cruise
  10. “I make it easier for people to leave by making them hate me a little.” – Cecelia Ahern
  11. “It may seem to you that we are drifting away like feathers in the air, but our heart knows, we are only coming closer. Have a safe journey dear friend!” – Anonymous
  12. “Goodbye pal. It’s been one hell of a ride. Thank you for the memories.” – Anonymous

Wish your friend a happy farewell to their journey to eternity. Express your sincere prayers and fond memories that you remember about your dearly departed. They will not only be never forgotten but also greatly missed.

Related: 101 End Of Relationship Quotes That Are Relatable

Emotional Goodbye Quotes For A Dead Friend

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  1. “Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach
  2. “You’ve given me some of my happiest memories. I will remember you for as long as I live. Goodbye!” – Anonymous
  3. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne
  4. “Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” – J.M. Barrie
  5. “Someday we shall meet again. Until then, farewell.” – Anonymous
  6. “Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.” – Charles M. Schulz
  7. “Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” – Anonymous
  8. “You have been a blessing in my life and nothing will be the same without you anymore, dear friend! Goodbye” – Anonymous
  9. “My heart refuses to say goodbye but I guess this is the way it has to be. I’ll always cherish our memories together. Goodbye!” – Anonymous
  10. “Truly great friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.” – G. Randolf
  11. “It’s not the days in life we remember, rather the moments.” – Walt Disney
  12. “In these final moments, I wanted to let you know that you were a great friend. I will miss you a lot.” – Anonymous

There is no good in goodbye, but you can make it feel a little better with the goodbye quotes for friends shared here. Using quotes to express how you feel can be a be alternative to saying ‘bye, take care’ only. Quotes give you the words to make your friend understand how greatly valued they are and how much they mean to you. Whether you pick a funny goodbye quote or an emotional one, you are bound to get a few tears or quite a few laughs and smiles from your friend when they read it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to write to a friend who is leaving?

You can write a letter, a poem, a text message, or an email. Share your thoughts about them, express your love for them, and share your support and excitement for the next adventure in their life.

How do you say goodbye to a best friend who is moving?

Let your friend know that while you love and will miss them, you are happy for this next phase in their life. Wish them all the best for the new chapter in their life. And just because they are moving to a new location does not mean the friendship ends.

What is the best farewell message?

The best farewell message always comes from the heart. Speak your heart, bare your soul, and let your mind find the right words to write a heart-warming farewell message.

What should I write in a goodbye card to a friend?

You can write funny or heartfelt poems, wishes, and quotes in a goodbye card to a friend.

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60 Goodbye Quotes for Friends, Family and Colleagues

60 Goodbye Quotes for Friends, Family and Colleagues - Gifts. com Blog

Gifts.com Blog

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It’s never easy to say goodbye to people you care about, but finding the right words to express how you feel can make the transition smoother and more memorable.

We’ve rounded up goodbye quotes to help make your goodbyes a little easier. Whether you are saying goodbye to a loved one or to a coworker, we’ve got a farewell quote for you.

Goodbye Quotes For Friends

Friends are the family that you get to choose. Your closest friends are your confidants, therapists, sidekicks and some of your biggest supporters. Make sure that they know however near or far they are, you’ll always be there for them.

  • “You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” -E.B. White (Charlotte’s Web)
  • “Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends. ” -Richard Bach
  • “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” -A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)
  • “Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” -J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)
  • “Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” -Unknown
  • “So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” -Helen Keller
  • “Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, though somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.” -Unknown
  • “Good friends never say goodbye. They simply say “See you soon.” -Unknown
  • “Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn’t count miles, it’s measured by the heart.” -Unknown
  • “You and I will meet again, When we’re least expecting it, One day in some far off place, I will recognize your face, I won’t say goodbye my friend, For you and I will meet again. ” -Tom Petty
  • “Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” -Henry David Thoreau

Goodbye Quotes For Coworkers

Coworkers have such a huge impact on our work environment. Depending on how close you are, saying goodbye to your coworker can be a huge blow. Even if you aren’t close to the person leaving, it is still polite to write them a short note. Let them know their contributions will be missed. These quotes would work great on their own or accompanied by a personal message.

For a close coworker

  • “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  • “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” -Confucius
  • “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.” -Mahatma Gandhi
  • “No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth. ” -Robert Southey
  • “True friends don’t say good-bye, they just take extended leaves of absences from each other.” -Unknown

For an acquaintance

  • “Life is a journey, not a destination.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” -Garrison Keillor
  • “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” -Semisonic
  • “This is the beginning of anything you want.” -Unknown
  • “Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.” -William Shakespeare

Funny Goodbye Quotes

Sometimes a lighter message is what’s most appropriate for the situation. Use a funny goodbye quote to send them off in good spirits.

  • “Don’t ever tell anyone anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” -J.D. Salinger
  • “Bye Felicia!” -Ice Cube (Friday)
  • “It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest thing in the world.” -John Green (Paper Towns)
  • “I’ll see you in another life. When we are both cats.” -Tom Cruise (Vanilla Sky)
  • “I make it easier for people to leave by making them hate me a little.” -Cecelia Ahern
  • “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go” -Oscar Wilde (The Duchess of Padua)

Goodbye Quotes For Family

Family is irreplaceable and forever. Even though you carry family in your heart at all times, physical distance causes real pain. Help support your family member in their new chapter and show them they’ll always have your love and support.

  • “It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” -Ernie Harwell
  • “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” -Paulo Coelho
  • “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” -Anatole France
  • “Goodbyes make you think. They make you realize what you’ve had, what you’ve lost, and what you’ve taken for granted.” -Ritu Ghatourey
  • “It’s sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life, starts with goodbye.” -Carrie Underwood
  • “I can’t remember all the times I told myself to hold on to these moments as they pass.” -Counting Crows
  • “It’s not the days in life we remember, rather the moments.” -Walt Disney
  • “Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime. We’ll take the best, forget the rest, and someday will find that these are the best of times.” -Styx
  • “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” -Flavia Weedn
  • “The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.” -Wendy Wunder

Goodbye Quotes For Someone You Love

Saying goodbye to a significant other is one of the worst types of goodbyes. Whether the goodbye is permanent or temporary, it’s still very hard to be away from the person that you love.

For him

Show him how much he means to you and how much you’ll miss him, while making sure he knows that you support his new chapter.

  • “The two hardest things to say in life is hello for the first time and goodbye for the last.” -Moira Rogers
  • “A man never knows how to say goodbye; a woman never knows when to say it.” -Helen Rowland
  • “It takes a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye.” -Unknown
  • “Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.” -Trey Parker
  • “I hate the feeling when you have to say goodbye to someone you want to spend every minute with.” -Unknown

For her

She was always there for you when you needed her. Be there for her during this change in her life and let her know she is loved, appreciated and will be missed.

  • “Goodbye is the hardest thing to say to someone who means the world to you, especially when goodbye isn’t what you want. ” -Unknown
  • “Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.” -Dave Mustaine
  • “Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love.” -George Eliot
  • “The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.” -Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook)
  • “When I had to say goodbye to you, my love, it was like saying goodbye to my life.” -Unknown

If you will reunite

  • “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.” -Rumi
  • “The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” -Charles Dickens (Nicholas Nickleby)
  • “You know it’s love when you have been saying goodbye for how many times but still you’re not ready to leave.” -Unknown
  • “There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” -Mahatma Gandhi
  • “We’ll meet again, Don’t know where, don’t know when, But I know we’ll meet again, Some sunny day. ” -Vera Lynn (We’ll Meet Again)

If you must part ways

  • “You’ve changed me forever. And I’ll never forget you.” -Kiera Cass
  • “This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you.” -Nicholas Sparks (Message in a Bottle)
  • “I have learned along my journey that letting go doesn’t mean loving less.” -Alex Elle
  • “Saying goodbye is the hardest solution of any problem. But sometimes it’s the only choice we have…” -Anurag Prakash Ray
  • “At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” -Unknown
  • “Even if we can’t be together in the end, I’m glad that you were a part of my life.” -Unknown
  • “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss
  • “You had me at hello, goodbye and everything in between.” -Shannon L. Alder

These quotes and sayings are the perfect addition to your goodbye card. Pair your card with a personalized going away gift to send them off and show them that they will be missed. Hopefully these goodbye quotes and sayings help you express your feelings and make saying farewell a little easier.

 

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How to accept parting with friends | RBC Style

What to do: visualize and, if necessary, write down the best thing that happened to you with the participation of this person.

At the moment of discord and with wounded feelings, the first thing that comes to our mind is to concentrate on claims, mutual insults and personal scores, which accumulate over the years in any, especially long-term relationship. And at the moment of parting, of course, I want to blurt out everything that has boiled up. The impulse is understandable, but often leading to the fact that it will be very difficult to restore communication with a person, and it will take years to regret what was said (or at least about the form of what was said). nine0007

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Of course, thoughts about the glorious past will not replace the hardships of parting, but will help to let go of a friend on the right note. In every friendship there is a first meeting and a beginning, whether you were wary of each other or immediately imbued with sympathy. The first evening when you talked heart to heart is remembered as the first date. Most likely, in your general history there were parties and holidays, gifts and travel. And cases of unconditional support, when, by calling or writing to a friend, you received exactly the reaction you expected. Perhaps these moments left living memories: gifts, photographs, videos, postcards. nine0007

It is not necessary to create a virtual gravestone for your friendship, but collecting all the best things associated with one person is necessary in order to return to this through time - even if now it seems that this time will never come. In any case, you will always have time to throw away gifts and erase photos, and a folder on a computer with the name of a close friend can become an important part of your personal history.

© Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash

What to do: remember the conflicts that have arisen and admit that you, too, can be wrong. nine0007

Apologizing and accepting responsibility for general disagreements is very difficult in the heat of a fight. But when parting with friends, admitting mistakes is not only an important step towards the next relationship, but also a gesture of gratitude (see point above). Even if the situation seems unambiguous now, and the friend looks guilty all around, in your relationship dynamics you were making a joint contribution.

It is not at all necessary to draw out unnatural apologies from oneself and instantly dot all the "i" - a calm parting with friends also takes time, and sometimes it is enough to do independent work for inner comfort. Even when we are good friends, we can't always show our best side. Recall if there were stumbling blocks in your relationship. Have you criticized each other's work and choices? Offended by the lack of initiative? Did not accept each other's partners? Forgot to congratulate, call back? Didn't come at an important moment? Quarreled from fatigue, and not because the other person offended you? Gently recall these episodes and explain them to yourself without being defensive or attacking yourself or your friend. nine0007

There is no need to artificially complete the trend and see every conflict as a harbinger of a future separation. Just think about what you would do differently now, what actions in the past haunt you. If you have the strength, apologize, and if not, just remember and do not repeat the actions that you will regret with other loved ones.

What to do: find kind words for your friend's new beginnings (even if you don't approve of them).

Giving freedom is perhaps the most difficult thing in any relationship, because for many of us the loss of control is associated with the weakening of deep relationships. “Love, let go” is easier said than done, especially given the hardships you now face. Then you lived on neighboring streets, and now your friend is moving to another country. That you spent together every weekend, and now all the attention of a friend is on his work or child. Then you worked together - and now it takes an hour and a half to get to each other to see each other. And many of these changes hint that the inevitable parting will follow the remoteness. nine0007

First, this is not always the case: many friendships endure both the test of time and the hardships of long distances. Secondly, even if you have no plans to maintain a relationship further, this does not mean that your friend does not need kind words or good luck wishes right now. Deciding to change is a big step, and many people subconsciously wait for approval or at least support from their inner circle. Yes, having children will change the rhythms of your friends, and it will not be easy for you to take them out on a spontaneous walk. Yes, moving to another country or city will make your meetings very rare. Yes, the choice of another person is not in your favor, as if erasing what we lived together. But these are the traps of our selfishness. Your friend has already made the decision, and the best thing you can do for him is to stand in his place and imagine why he is going to take a new path: most often this has nothing to do with you. nine0007

A friend may want to build a relationship with someone you don't approve of for their own happiness, not to annoy you. He will need a job in which he will see a new meaning. Or another social circle that will support his lifestyle. It is absolutely not necessary to officially speak with your friends about the reasons for their choice and your separation: just think about why exactly such circumstances and actions are important for your friend at this moment and whether there are facts in his biography that clearly explain this. nine0007

© Rosie Fraser/Unsplash

What to do: think about friends you want to make and people you should be close to.

Parting with loved ones often makes us unable to think critically: closing an important chapter in our lives, we tend to dramatize that we will never meet other equally interesting people and such relationships with us will not be repeated. Of course, exactly the same will not be repeated. But others will begin as soon as we are ready for this. Unlike romantic relationships, intimacy, acquaintance and new friendships are not surrounded by so many expectations, drama and categorical judgments - we can combine friends and acquaintances in any number convenient for us, not necessarily immediately singling them out into a group of favorite friends. nine0007

First think about what kind of activities you need company for. Walking with your child, playing sports, watching movies, traveling, going to some courses? Think about whether it is possible to find a company among your friends, or are all these people easily searched for in the very places where you have long wanted to go: in a sports section, in a park, at a city festival, on a trip? Look around at the people you like and want to get close to, and work up the courage to ask at least five people for coffee. It will be even easier if you work or live nearby. Think about what qualities you miss the most in your environment and which of your old acquaintances you want to reconnect with. Of course, we part with some friends from time to time, but how and when to make new acquaintances with whom we are interested depends only on us. But this will require unusual efforts - new friends rarely appear by themselves. nine0007

What to do: leave a chance in words and deeds to restore friendship.

Very often, when parting, there is a great temptation - to burn bridges, to start ignoring each other, to have that very final conversation, after which everything will become clear. But the property of most relationships and most people is that they change, and even completed relationships can remind of themselves, cause nostalgia, acquire a different meaning over time. nine0007

You once didn't understand what your best friend did, but now you've come across her experience and taken a different point of view. Current friends notice the same flaws in you that the categorical best friend once emphasized (and you had a fight). Friends who left to live in another city decided to return. A close friend divorced the person you couldn't stand and is now starting her life over with a clean slate. An old friend wrote a letter of apology. Many relationships break or end, but often have a great chance of recovery. The more prudent it will be to leave in such a status that you can return to the innuendo of the past and good memories. Most likely, even with the fear of “entering the same water twice”, your relationship will be at least a little different - you and your friend will come to them with the experience of living separately and the newfound distance. nine0007

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How to get over a breakup… with a friend

Know yourself A human among people

We were taught from childhood that “strong friendships don’t break”, but the truth is that relationships with a loved one don’t necessarily last forever our life. It’s an unpleasant thought, but the sooner we come to terms with it, the easier it will be for us, says coach and friendship specialist Daniela Bayard Jackson.

“When entering into a relationship with a new partner, we usually ask ourselves if we will succeed, if he will turn out to be “the one”. However, such doubts rarely visit us when it comes to friendship. For some reason, it seems to us that a friend will remain a friend by default, forever. That is why we so painfully endure a sudden break with him or even a gradual separation. We feel like we did something wrong." nine0007

Sometimes it is true: friendship, like any other relationship, requires work, investments from both sides. In fact, it often seems to us that friendship will continue “by itself”. Moreover, many of us realize the value of social connections only after losing them.

How can you help yourself get over this breakup?

1. Allow yourself to mourn the loss

Don't try to pretend that nothing happened, be honest with yourself and others: you are going through hard times and need support in exactly the same way as if you broke up with a romantic partner. Your feelings are hurt - so allow yourself to grieve in full and remember to take care of yourself. A break is a break, and healing will take time. nine0007

It seems strange to us that one can grieve at the loss of a friend as much as at a divorce, but in fact there is nothing surprising in this: we were sure that it was “for life”, and we are especially hurt because for disappointed expectations. 2. Try to figure out what happened end of friendship? Daniela Bayard Jackson advises asking yourself the following questions: What exactly happened? What did each of us do? How do you feel about this? nine0007

If possible, try to talk to a (former) friend - not to convince him, but to put a final end to the relationship, close this door and not hope for a continuation of the relationship. However, it is not always there: a once close person may ignore your calls and messages, evade your attempts to clarify everything, or block you altogether.

“In this case, we often replay in our heads the dialogue that we could have had, rehearse what we could have said. Try to stop this stuck “mental record,” Jackson advises. “If you think that you are to blame for a former friend, apologize, but try not to hope for an answer.” nine0007

3. Determine what you need in order to move on

Once you understand the impact that the breakup with a friend had on your life and emotional state, you will be able to understand what you need in order to recover: give yourself extra time to mourn, talk to someone you trust, or isolate yourself from anything that might remind you of a former friendship.

Jackson recommends using the language of gratitude even when talking to yourself: "As soon as you feel able to talk about friendship in the past tense, mentally thank your friend for all the good that he gave you and communication with him." nine0007

4. Analyze what happens with other friends

Breaking up a friendship inevitably makes us worry about how it will affect relationships with other friends, especially if we had a common company. The expert advises not to hide what happened: “If we lose an arm, the rest of the body will definitely “notice” this. Yes, this can lead to further breakups too, but in this case it is appropriate to ask the question, were these people “yours” from the beginning.

True friends will definitely support you. At the same time, you need to understand that they have the right to communicate with your former friend if they want. And accept it.

Make it a rule to regularly "check the pulse" of your relationship with different friends: are you doing well, do you need to give a particular friend more attention and time. After all, when was the last time you saw each other in person, and not in the vastness of social networks?

5. Remember that you still deserve friendship

Don't let a break with one friend make you feel worthless, unworthy of friendship. Yes, making friends can be tricky, especially as an adult, but don't give up trying. nine0007

Remember that you deserve acceptance from others and kindness to yourself - first of all from yourself.


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