When people we know become strangers.  CC by Mendhak

Give some people distance and they may become strangers. This is not always the case, however. With some, we may be far removed by distance and time but when we get in touch again we pick up where we left off. Not so with others. The two parties may change, and have nothing left but a courteous awkward exchange from time to time.

Severing ties is hard. It’s easier to let go slowly. Time takes care of vanishing attachments, often for the best. It takes two to tango, but I’ve learnt that some ties are not worth trying to mend or keep. When someone who was once close decides to become a stranger, let them go. Don’t try to keep the friendship going. I’ve kept most of my friendships because there was trust and care. When one is lacking, my favorite quote is “keep moving forward.”

Some strangers become, even from the furthest distance, close. Some who share our same interests, and while still strangers, the slim ties are worth keeping, as with a writer I barely know, but with whom I exchange and share a passion for life. I follow his work closely from a distance because I admire his values and passionate hard work. He is a keeper, a “close stranger.”

As the big book says: Take what you can use and leave the rest.