A Different Kind of Love

It’s been forever since I posted anything on my blog, but I've had something on my mind quite a bit lately. While swimming laps this morning, I realized that writing would help me process my feelings. I write romance novels, but lately a different kind of love has been on my mind – the love between best friends. Just like romantic relationships, best friend relationships don’t always stand the test of time. Sometimes they end abruptly, and sometimes they peter over time as life gets in the way. Regardless, I never fully realized, until now, how painful healing from a broken friendship could be. 

Friendship is a common theme in books, movies, and TV shows. I love the way the Harry Potter series portrayed the friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Another favorite fictional friendship is the one between Finan and Uthred in The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell.  In season 5 of the show, Finan tells Uthred, “We are brothers for life, thick and thin. We’ll ride with you to death.” That kind of devotion is a beautiful thing, but like romance novels, that often portray relationships which are far more fantasy than reality, I wonder if fiction does the same with friendships. In reality, I think most friendships are a lot more like Tully and Kate’s from Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah. Both women loved each other dearly, but that did not stop them from hurting each other. 

When a romantic relationship falls apart, it takes time to heal. I’ve come to see that the same is true for a friend relationship. For those of you who have gone through something similar, you are not alone. I keep telling myself that eventually this icky feeling in my heart will pass. I know that it will, just not as quickly as I’d like it to.

Feel free to leave a message in the comments and share your thoughts - or instead your favorite friend book.