I kept hoping consistency would return if I stayed kind enough

Dear Delyara, That hope kept me in the friendship longer than it should have. I thought if I stayed patient, thoughtful, understanding, low-maintenance, emotionally intelligent enough, maybe the imbalance would correct itself. Maybe care would come back if I modeled enough of it. Maybe the distance was temporary. Maybe history deserved one more chance to become present again. It didn’t. I think one of the harder adult lessons is that kindness does not always restore reciprocity. Sometimes it only delays clarity. That hurts. But it’s true.