WONDEROAK

You recognize when someone loves you for you, when you’ve been loved conditionally and with strings attached.

You know what it is to be able to relax and exhale, when you’ve had to perform in order to “belong”.

You cherish mutual friendship, when you’ve been in relationships where you were the only giver and they were the only taker.

You hold tight to the people you know you can trust, when you’ve been burned before.

You know peace is precious, when you’ve been pulled into drama.

You’re grateful for honesty, when you’ve experienced being lied to.

You value confrontation and talking things out, when you’ve been left before without explanation or an attempt to clear things up.

You’re honored by being included when you’ve been left out.

You can tell when someone truly cares about you, when you’ve experienced the pain of being in a friendship with someone who makes it all about them.

You recognize being built up, when you’ve been torn down.

You appreciate being given the benefit of the doubt when you’ve been hurt by someone assuming the worst.

You treasure friends who have your back, when you’ve been the brunt of gossip before.

You value being seen, when you’ve been overlooked.

I don’t know about you, but I value my real friends so much more, because I’ve done fake before.

Fake hurts.

Real connection heals.

Every broken story has led me cherish the friendships that heal.

Written by Jess Johnston & Amy Weatherly

Photo by Crosby Hinze