Let’s be real for a second… People change. You change. I change. We all change. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay—it’s a natural, inevitable part of this crazy thing we call life.
But here’s the thing that trips most people up: They expect everything else to stay the same even as they themselves transform. They think their friendships from high school should be just as tight ten years later. They assume family dynamics will never shift. They believe their romantic relationships should stay in the honeymoon phase forever.
Well, I hate to break it to you, but that’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.
As individuals grow and evolve, so too do their connections with others. Friendships that once seemed unbreakable can slowly drift apart. Family ties can loosen or tighten. Romantic partnerships can either deepen in intimacy or crumble under the weight of change.
The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can find peace within the ever-shifting landscape of your interpersonal relationships.
The friends you had at sixteen may no longer resonate with the person you’ve become at twenty-six. And that doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong—it simply means you’ve grown in different directions. You’re running on a different path now. And that’s something to be celebrated, not mourned.
The same goes for romantic relationships. The partner that once seemed to “complete you” may no longer fit into the puzzle of your life. Again, that doesn’t necessarily mean someone screwed up. It just means you’ve both transformed and evolved, and your piece no longer interlocks with theirs. It’s time to step back, appreciate what you once had, and move forward into something new.
Even family, the one constant we tend to take for granted, morphs over time. Your role as a son or daughter, a sibling or cousin, will shift as the years roll on. New dynamics will emerge. New challenges and opportunities will arise. And you’ll be called to change right along with them.
The point is, people change. Relationships change. Life changes. The more willing you are to embrace this, the more at peace you’ll be.
So instead of clinging to what was, learn to celebrate what is. Honor the friendships and relationships that stood the test of time and gracefully let go of those that didn’t. Look forward to the new connections waiting to be forged instead of constantly looking back.
Change, in all its many forms, doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, if you’re willing to embrace it, change can be the very thing that helps you become the person you were always meant to be.
So here’s to your evolution and the evolution of all those you hold dear. May you have the courage to grow, the wisdom to accept, and the resilience to thrive amidst the beautiful, chaotic, ever-changing dance of life.