Something has changed in one of my closest friendships and I am heartbroken We were once completely free, without inhibition but now we are cautious, tiptoeing --
How do you be there for a friend who is not ready to share?
Maybe this is the true test of friendship.
"You can tell me," I want to say,
"It's just me."
But I know this is not about me.
I know that this is perhaps me being selfish
My need to be seen as trusted,
my validation.
It makes me feel so vulnerable
to share more of me when they share less of themselves
And so I withdraw as well
to avoid that imbalance.
We all know that friendships are shape-shifters
morphing into new forms as we regulate
how much we want to bare of ourselves
and how much we want to keep tucked away
I'm working on accepting this new change
I want to be okay with it,
I want to be gentle and understanding
But maybe grace will come
after grief.
