Relationships

I wasn’t ever planning to write a post like this… relationships are complicated, layered, and sometimes a little uncomfortable to unpack. But lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting.

And if I’m being honest?

I haven’t exactly had a long, consistent track record when it comes to friendships or romances. Shocking, I know 😄

Part of that is probably me. Actually… a good part of that is me. I’ve always had a bit of a stubborn, all-or-nothing personality, mixed with a very low tolerance for nonsense. I don’t do fake well. I don’t do drama well. And I definitely don’t do “let’s pretend everything is fine” when it’s not.

Now, that doesn’t mean I’ve always been some kind of lone wolf.

Quite the opposite.

From school through my late 20s, I was what you might call… socially committed 😏 Out all the time, surrounded by friends from every possible group—different cliques, different personalities, different vibes. I never really had a “type” either when it came to dating. Jocks, artists, the brooding mysterious ones… I appreciated variety. Life was busy, fun, and full of people.

I genuinely loved people. Still do.

But somewhere along the way—probably a mix of age, experience, and a few hard lessons—I started to see things differently.

People can be unkind. Not always intentionally, but enough to make an impression. And authenticity? It’s rarer than you think.

My divorce was probably the biggest wake-up call. Friends we had together didn’t just drift… they chose sides. And not quietly either—they meant it. Years later, if I run into some of those people, it’s the quickest “hi” you’ve ever seen, followed by a mutual understanding to keep it moving.

It used to bother me. Now?

It’s just… strange.

There’s something surreal about seeing people you once shared real life with—holidays, dinners, inside jokes—and now they’re essentially strangers with a familiar face.

Same goes for old high school friends, church friends… people who were once such a big part of my world. Now they’re just people I might pass in a store aisle.

And to be fair, not all of that is on them.

I know I’ve played my part too 😬

I’m outspoken. I have opinions. I don’t exactly keep them tucked neatly away, especially when it comes to things I believe in. So yes… if we were connected on Facebook back in the day, there’s a decent chance we are no longer connected now.

It happens.

But here’s the thing I’ve come to realize—and honestly, appreciate:

The people who have stayed?

They are my people.

They’re open-minded. Kind. A little weird in the best way. They laugh easily, don’t take life too seriously, and can handle a little chaos (because… hi, it’s me).

I don’t have a huge circle anymore. No big social calendar. No endless list of acquaintances.

But the ones I do have? They stick.

Most of them have come into my life in more recent years—through jobs, through my husband, through just living life and crossing paths when it mattered.

And then there’s my core. My foundation.

My husband—my best friend, my constant, the one who truly gets me.

My sister, who’s been there through every version of me, and her husband who fits right into that space.

My sons, my daughter-in-law, my granddaughter… they’re everything.

My cousins and their spouses, who feel less like extended family and more like built-in lifelong friends.

And of course, my pets—because let’s be real, they might be the most loyal of all. Wally, my doodle with endless personality, and Sheldon, my slightly senile cat who’s earned the right to do whatever he wants at this point.

It’s not a huge, bustling life full of people anymore.

But it’s full in the ways that matter.

It’s steady. It’s real. It’s enough.

And honestly?

I wouldn’t have it any other way ❤️