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How To Gracefully End A Friendship And Still Leave The Door Open
Ending a friendship is never an easy decision, especially one that has lasted for a significant time or since childhood. The decision to actively end a friendship is not one I take lightly. I cherish my friendships and they are a great source of joy and comfort to me but occasionally they become toxic and they must end. I made the decision to end a childhood friendship this year after much deliberation and over a two-year period.
I am confident now I made the right decision because of how the ending played out. I did not simply cut off all contact, ghost her or claim that I never wanted to see her again. I believe I ended the friendship with grace and kindness and I left the door open enough for her to oppose my decision and propose a reconciliation attempt. She did not take up the offer and thus, it was clear to me that this friendship breakup was final.
Two methods to end a friendship
There are two ways to break up with a friend: passive and active. The first method is passive. About 90% of the friendships that have ended in my life have ended passively. They ended without any action. We stopped making an effort and the friendship faded as a result. Effort and…
