Life Lesson

As we grow older in life, we find out who our friends really are and who is going to be around for the duration. Sometimes, this is not a fun lesson to learn, but a much needed one for us to be able to truly grow as a person. I have discovered that just because you know someone for a long time does not mean that they will be your friend forever. Our ideals and morals can change and as we mature and become who we really are, some people in our lives don't really understand our nature or character, especially if they knew us as children or have known us for many years. Sometimes, these friends are the ones who have a hard time accepting when we change or don't recognize changes because they only see who they knew, not who we have become.
It can be sad to lose a friend to diverging paths in life, but I think it is far worse to be friends with someone who does not understand you as a person and criticizes your life in hopes of your changing it for the better. It is one thing to talk to a friend whose life choices are detrimental to his or her well-being; it is another to tell him or her that he or she is has no regard for others and basically runs over the people around them in the whirlwind they call an existence.
Take it from me, I live a semi-charged, dramatic life that is touched by the occasional crisis with some craziness for flavor, but it works. That is my normal. I am fine. It has taken me years to get here and I am happier than I have been in a long time. My life has less stress, more fun, and my friends and family are not being swept up in the Julie-cyclone daily. This was not an easy task. But, NO ONE could have led me here. I had to figure out that I had the issues I did and work them out myself. I had to decide I needed to make some major changes in my life to be happier including changing careers (sort of), adding a regular exercise regimen, eating healthy 98% of the time, and surrounding myself with the right people. I did not have a friend criticize me and tell me I needed to change to initiate the process. I am not in rehab.
I know there have been some casualties of mi vida loca over the years and for that, I am sorry, but I can't say that I can change the past. None of us can. I can only move forward knowing I have created some incredible positive changes and that I have kept the friends that wanted to be here because they were accepting of me through my growth process and I thank the Lord every day for their forgiveness and His Grace!