We’veall had phases in our lives that have had to come to an end. That’s how ourlives work. We grow, we move on. Besides the lessons I’ve learned in those lifephases, the most valuable thing to come out of those endings, are the people I’vepicked up along the way.

Friendshipis a bit like fishing. Some people we catch and we keep. Other times, it’scatch and release. When a phase in your life ends, it can mean saying good-byeto some friends and letting them go. This isn’t always easy, but usually inhindsight, we can see it was appropriate. The ones that are special, though,the keepers, are the ones you end up taking home, cleaning, filleting andeating or putting in the freezer. What?

PerhapsI took the fishing metaphor a little too far there, but you get the idea. Somefriends stay fresh, with you throughout your different phases, regardless ofthe ending or the new beginning.  Somemay get frozen for a time, but you can always count on them to thaw out andstill be delicious. Too far again?

Howdo you know which friends are the keepers? Sometimes you don’t have a choice.Sometimes when a phase of your life ends, so does that friendship. It can endbecause you’ve moved on, or they have. It can end simply because interests havenow changed or you don’t mean as much to them anymore once you’ve moved on. Inthat case, a release of that friendship is best for everyone.

Thosewho end up as keepers are the ones who stick with you through the endings andcheer you on to new beginnings. It’s a filtering process, perhaps nature’s wayof letting only the best survive in your life. The ones you know you can keep,cook and eat, or, not. Whichever. One things is for sure, you will value theirfriendship all the more. Endingshappen to keep us moving. One thing ends and we move on to the next, sometimeswhether we want to or not. In the Return of the King, Frodo said, “I’m glad tobe with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things.” I am glad forendings. I am glad to have had the many different phases in my life and thefriends I’ve caught along the way. To all of my keepers, I thank you. I will beglad to be with you, at the end of all things.

Author and Creative Ink Festival Goddess, Sandra Wickham with her son, Ben.

Sandra Wickham lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and toddler son. Her friends call her a needle crafting aficionado, health guru and ninja-in-training. Sandra’s short stories have appeared in Sirens, Equus, The Urban Green Man, Evolve, Vampires of the New Undead, Crossed Genres magazine, Luna Station Quarterly and more. She slush reads for Lightspeed Magazine and promotes the Creative Ink Festival for writers and readers.