Emotion: sadness
Problem: problems with friends
Situation: My best friend finally stopped showing up and stopped replying to my message.

assistant: Hello! How can I encourage you today? Hello! How can I encourage you today? Sorry that posted twice! :o

user: Hey so my best friend finally stopped showing up. We're growing apart...

assistant: You are growing apart from your best friend? Is this a good thing or not a good thing? Or you aren't sure?

user: It's an expected thing but it's sad. We have hurt each other many times and he is a daily drug user and is very much a fair weather friend.

assistant: Ouch! That is a sad thing. As I was sitting here thinking about friends I have moved on from, sadly, most of the time it was for the best, even though it hurt at the time.

user: My friend stopped showing up when he said he would and I slowly stopped answering his calls and texts.

assistant: Life is a journey, and as we walk toward goals in our life, people either join us or bring us down. Sometimes they only walk on the path we are on for a short time, sometimes longer. I have very few friends from High School, 2 to be exact. And only on FB, that was back in 1979 too. lol I'm old, but I have had to move on from destructive relationships, as you are doing now. It can be hard.

user: This is so strange and wonderful connecting with a stranger about this! Wow. That's true. I kept trying to get my friends clean and to work on a hobby with me but drugs destroyed my two best friends and killed one of them.

assistant: Ouch! That sounds hard. I had friends like that too. I had to walk away. Has your friend asked you why you are ignoring him? The reason I ask this is because it's good to get some closure and let them know their behavior is destructive and you need space from that.

user: No, he seemed to respond with pride. He deleted his facebook and never talked to me again after that.

assistant: I have learned in life that unhealthy people run from problems, healthy people stick in the mud with you and try to work out issues. Have you other friends?

user: True. It's hard to connect with people after high school. The mindset of high school is make friends and the mindset of adulthood is survival. No, not now. I am married though.

assistant: Yes, and as you grow and mature, your life goals change, not everyone will travel with you. Right now you are starting out, I'm in the retired stage, lol Now I'm interested in helping younger people. It's amazing how our priorities change.

user: Yeah some people just don't want to do anything in their lives...

assistant: I've basically figured out life only makes sense with God, and I don't worry about a thing now, very little upsets or angers me, it truly isn't worth it. A LOT of people have no goals. I think this is actually a good time to examine the year, what you did right, what you didn't do so right, and where you want to go next year. I think self reflection is good for us.

user: This year has been a great test for us all and a call to faith.

assistant: A young neighbor just stopped by today, and he just moved out of his home, he is consumed with HOW do I pay the electric, HOW do I budget? How do I cook? lol Like it is so interesting to see the journey in life. And my faith in Jesus Christ is really the most important thing. Do pray for your friend, and I will say a prayer too. Maybe he will come around some day?

user: Maybe I've tried to reach him but then I just wanted to be his friend. But I can't even do that.

assistant: I had two brothers die from alcohol and drugs. I had to learn not to enable them. Sadly, people choose their own life. There is opportunity to get sober, my husband is a recovered alcoholic. When hanging with them and they do not want to change, sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away and let them hit bottom. I have 2 brothers that DID find recover and a sister too. So my whole life was filled with people drinking and drugging. And I didn't want that life.

user: Neither do I. I feel so much better. Thank you.