Logo

Has your friend/family member been acting a bit distant or shady since you got engaged, married, had a baby, brought a home, been promoted from your job or moved away as a result of securing a better career opportunity? Perhaps the circumstances weren't so positive or drastic. Lets say your friend/family member was laid off from their job and was forced to be more frugal with their spending and could not hang out with you like they used to.  A more common example would be that their lifestyle changed suddenly as a result of negative influences and they chose to get involved in things they weren't involved in before such as drugs, robbery, etc. With every change, progress or downfall in life; expect it to not only affect you but also the people around you.

I remember when I got engaged. It was as if my life flashed right before my eyes. In a good way of course. :-) I felt so many emotions; joy, fear, anxiety, excitement, and the list goes on. After all, it was the biggest thing that ever happened to me and my outlook on life changed instantly. It was no longer all about me and what I wanted but rather we and how can we grow together. I was more conscious on how and where I spent my money. I was no longer as flexible to hang out much with my friends because I was so caught up in planning for our wedding. Eventually my friends stopped inviting me out because they assumed I wasn't available. Although that was the case most of the time, after a bit, I simply did not have the desire to hang out like I used to. That doesn't make me a bad person or mean that my friends love me or I love them any less, it just so happened that a turn of events occurred in my life that shifted my priorities in a different direction.  Despite what life throws at you, a true friend will stand by you as you transition and grow. Unfortunately, you will lose some along the way as I did and that's ok too. I've learned not to look toward others for affirmation because it's not everyone that will be happy for you when you are progressing in life and not everyone will understand your pain and suffering when you're grieving. You must learn to adapt or let go.

Whether its life's occurrences that steer us toward a different path or our own indiscretions that ultimately causes one to part from the other, people change. Some change for the better and others for the worse. So don't beat yourself up trying to make sense of it all. The truth is, some change that occur, you'll never be able to comprehend it fully. Learn to embrace change because it will happen. You too will change, lets just hope its for the better.

That was one example of how life changes effected me and my relationships. I'm sure you too have examples of how life changes effect your relationships. Please feel free to share. I would love to read your stories and learn from your experiences.