To Lost Friends

There are days when I think about you all, each of you, in the quiet spaces between breaths, in the pauses of my day when the world slows just enough for memory to slip in. I wonder where you are, how you’ve been, if you ever think about me the way I think about you. Life moves so fast, and sometimes, without realizing it, we get swept up in the tide of responsibilities, dreams, and survival. And before we know it, we look up and realize that somewhere along the way, we drifted apart.

But not because we stopped being friends.

We were never meant to be casualties of time. Our bond was never something that ended—it just found a quieter place to exist. And I want you to know that no matter how long it’s been, I still consider you my friend. The kind of friend whose absence is felt, whose laughter still echoes in my memory, whose presence is irreplaceable even when distance stands between us.

How are you? Really, how is life treating you? Have you been waking up feeling lighter or heavier? Are you eating well, sleeping enough, laughing as much as you used to? I don’t ask out of obligation; I ask because I care. Because even if we haven't spoken in a while, I want to know that you're okay. That life is being kind to you.

I think about all the things I wish I had said before time stretched between us. I wish I had checked in more. I wish I had sent random texts just to remind you that you were on my mind. I wish I had fought harder against the silence that crept in, that I had reached out even when I wasn't sure what to say. Because you deserved that. You deserved to know that our friendship wasn’t just for a season, that you are still someone I carry with me, always.

But even in the quiet, I hope you never doubted it. I hope you never thought for a second that I forgot you. Because I didn’t. Because I won’t.

Do you ever think about the memories we shared? The long conversations that stretched into the night, the dreams we were going to build together, the inside jokes that no one else would ever understand? Do you remember how effortless it was, how being around each other felt like home? I do. I remember it all.

I don’t believe in letting go of people just because life got busy. And I don’t believe that distance—whether in miles or in time—should define the value of what we had. So if you ever wonder whether you should reach out, whether it’s too late to reconnect, please know that it isn’t. Please know that I will always have space for you in my life, in my heart. That no matter where we are, no matter how much time has passed, I am always here.

And even if life continues to keep us apart, even if our conversations remain few and far between, I just want you to know this: I miss you. I miss knowing your life like I once did. I miss having you close. And if there’s ever a moment where you need someone—whether it’s to celebrate your wins, to cry over your losses, or just to sit in comfortable silence—know that I will always be that person for you.

Wherever you are, I hope you are happy. I hope you are loved. I hope you are chasing the dreams we once talked about. And if ever our paths cross again, I hope we pick up right where we left off, as if no time had passed at all.

Always, Neta