Outgrowing People Isn’t A Villain Arc

Growing up, my family always told me that the friends I had in high school might not be the friends I would have forever. At the time, I couldn’t imagine that being true; my friendships felt permanent. We had inside jokes, shared specific routines consisting of sleepovers every weekend, and years of memories. How could that ever change?

After leaving high school, I realized they were right, at least for me.  

Nothing dramatic happened. There was no big fight or falling out. We simply grew up and grew apart. Our lives began to move in different directions. We developed new interests. We met new people and became different versions of ourselves. We still talk occasionally, but it definitely is not the same as it used to be, and that’s okay. 

Outgrowing people is just part of life. 

We are constantly changing and growing in all aspects. Our personalities shift, our priorities change, and we discover new passions. We outgrow clothes that no longer fit and hobbies that no longer interest us, so why is it so hard to accept that sometimes we can outgrow people, too? 

Somehow, society has made it seem like growing apart from people automatically means that there was some form of drama or betrayal, as if someone has to be the villain. But truth be told, outgrowing someone doesn’t make you cold or selfish. It shows growth and development. 

Sometimes you just don’t align in the same ways anymore. Conversations feel different, and the connection isn’t as effortless as it once was before. You simply do not mesh as you once did, but that never means you stopped caring. 

Outgrowing someone does not erase the memories you shared or mean you hate them. It means you are both becoming new people, which is not a bad thing. 

There is one part nobody ever talks about, and it’s the fact that you can still be friends with people you’ve outgrown. The friendship may look different, and you may not talk every day or see each other every day, but there can still be love, respect, and appreciation for what you once meant to each other. 

Not every friendship is meant to last forever in the same way. Some are meant to shape you, teach you, and then gently fade into something softer. 

Growing apart does not make you the villain of someone else’s story. Sometimes it just means you’re growing into your own. 

• #friendships
• #growth
• #villian