Any time you decide to break away from what’s expected, you will have fallout. It can be changing religions, or loving the wrong person, or simply choosing something different from the status quo.

We can predict some of those who will oppose us. We know their thoughts and opinions, and these we can prepare for. But there are often surprises.

It’s very difficult when you have been of one mind with a friend and grown used to leaning on them, only to have a thick black line drawn between you, to be pushed away and delegated to the land of Not Like Me. Wisdom tells me friends who behave this way were never really my friends at all, but it is still a loss. And it still hurts.

If you live your life with any passion or guts at all, there will be people who should love you who decide not to any more.

There will be holes. Spaces are always filled. Some of those who smooth over the gaps will be the core people, the ones you always hoped would be there. Others will wait on the periphery, treasures you never saw coming. They will step up and stand beside you.

They will say, “I trust you. Even if I don’t understand and may not agree, I have faith in you.”

© 2013 – 2017, Donna Stone. All rights reserved.