Growing pains

Is it really possible to outgrow someone? I've heard people use this terminology over and over again, but it just seems so cold. Callous. Who am I to outgrow another human being? Isn't that a bit elitist? Here we are on this pilgrimage side by side...happily even...and then what happens? One day someone just wakes up and the proverbial cap no longer fits?

Or maybe it's more like a too-tight shoe that you just decide you can no longer bear the pain (or the corn) that comes with it. After all, what person in their right mind would want to continue wearing a shoe that rubs the back of their heel until an unsightly bubble of skin appears? Does it matter that the pumps are Manolo and you paid $500 for them? Those stilettos may look good, but you're in pain! Money spent on repairing a pair of worn-out boots year after year might have been better spent on a new pair. I know, I know, leave it to a woman to compare life to foot apparel...LOL!

Arguably the life lessons, friendship, and good times shared with someone should not be trivialized by comparing it to an inanimate object, on the other hand it may be a perfect parallel. After all, descriptives like painful, ill-fitting, worn out, faded, broken, sole(soul)less can be used for both. Recognizing that you've outgrown a friend doesn't mean you don't care for that person or that you harbor any animosity. Perhaps conversation is strained, a connection is lost, a bond is unraveled or commonalities have transitioned into major differences. Life experiences can create a Grand Canyon-like chasm and you may no longer speak the same language.

It's hard to face, but realistically some relationships just have an expiration date. A premise supported by the ideology that some "people come into your life for a season, a reason or a lifetime." Hopefully we can discern which is which and know when to let go....