By MIA FREEDMAN
Last year I had to euthanise a friendship. It had been unwell for some time but after attempting all manner of optimistic treatments to try and nurse it back to good health, I finally realised I had to end its suffering.
Or, rather, my suffering.
This person was toxic and after every interaction, I felt angry or upset or frustrated. There was no upside to this friendship anymore and if there ever had been, I could no longer recall what it was.
And so I ended it.
Unlike romantic relationships which are understood to usually have an expiry date, there’s this weird belief that friendships should last forever. But why?
There are friends who you have nothing in common with anymore – except that you used to be friends.
There are friends whose lives are just so different to yours that it becomes difficult to remain close.
There are friends who move countries who get busy who make other friends.
But there is no defriend button in life.
So what do you do?
There are two ways you can end a friendship; quickly and with lots of drama or slowly, allowing it to simply die of neglect. A lot like any plant I have ever owned.