i am breaking up with my best friend

Summary

In this heartfelt video, a person reflects on their 18-year-long friendship with their best friend. From childhood through university and beyond, they've shared countless memories, living together, and supporting each other through life's ups and downs. As their friend prepares to marry and move away, the speaker grapples with feelings of loss and change, acknowledging that their bond will never fade, even as they part ways. It's a poignant reflection on friendship, love, and the bittersweet nature of life's transitions, capturing the essence of growing up together.

Takeaways

• 😀 Soulmates are often described as best friends who know you better than anyone else and inspire you to be a better person.
• 😀 True friendships, especially ones that last for years, are built on shared experiences, understanding, and the ability to be yourself around each other.
• 😀 Growing up together, from childhood to adulthood, creates a deep connection that is hard to imagine living without.
• 😀 Living together can either make or break a friendship, but in this case, it deepened the bond and revealed new aspects of each other.
• 😀 Despite being opposites in many ways, the friendship worked because they accepted each other’s differences and loved each other despite them.
• 😀 The friend’s move to Australia marked a turning point, with distance creating a shift in their once constant relationship.
• 😀 The introduction of romantic relationships, especially the friend’s engagement, highlighted the changes in their dynamic and caused feelings of fear and loss.
• 😀 Even though the protagonist was happy for her friend's engagement, she struggled with the idea of her friend moving on to a new life stage.
• 😀 The protagonist's biggest emotional support for many years came from this friendship, and the thought of losing that support was overwhelming.
• 😀 Letting go of a close friend, especially one you've shared your life with for almost two decades, is an incredibly difficult emotional challenge.
• 😀 The protagonist concludes that, despite everything, she will always choose this person as her best friend, and their bond will persist in spirit, even if their paths diverge.

Q & A

What does the narrator mean by 'soulmate'?

The narrator describes a soulmate as someone who knows you better than anyone else, someone who inspires you to be a better person, though they don't necessarily make you better. The key idea is that a soulmate is a deep connection with someone who shares a significant part of your life.

What is the significance of the narrator's relationship with their best friend?

The relationship is significant because it spans 18 years, from childhood through adulthood. The two friends grew up together, sharing every aspect of life, including teenage years, academic milestones, and later adulthood. They lived together through university, supported each other emotionally, and created countless memories, showing a deeply intertwined friendship.

How does the narrator reflect on the concept of 'living together' with their best friend?

The narrator reflects fondly on the years of living together, emphasizing how they learned new things about each other despite being so close. Living together allowed them to bond even more deeply, despite their differences. The small, everyday moments, like sharing meals and watching shows, became precious memories.

How does the narrator feel about the changes in their friend's life, particularly her engagement?

The narrator expresses mixed emotions, primarily feelings of worry and protectiveness. Although they are happy for their friend, they struggle with the thought of her moving on to a new chapter in her life. The narrator feels as though they are being left behind and is grappling with the idea of not having their friend as an everyday part of their life anymore.

Why does the narrator say they feel like they are being 'replaced'?

The narrator feels like they are being 'replaced' because their best friend is entering into a romantic relationship, and eventually, she will be married. This marks a significant change in their dynamic, and the narrator struggles with the idea that their emotional connection, which had been central for so long, is now shifting.

What role did the narrator's best friend play in their life, emotionally and practically?

The best friend played a critical emotional support role in the narrator's life, offering comfort, encouragement, and companionship. From being there during sickness to offering reassurance in times of anxiety, the best friend provided the emotional stability that the narrator valued deeply. The friendship was a source of constant support, especially while living far from family.

What does the narrator mean by the phrase 'you love not because, but despite'?

The narrator uses this phrase to express that love doesn't come from perfection but from acceptance of each other's flaws. Despite their differences — such as contrasting habits and preferences — they still deeply loved and supported each other, proving that true friendship can thrive despite imperfections.

What is the narrator's emotional state as their best friend prepares to leave?

The narrator is emotionally overwhelmed, feeling a deep sense of loss and sadness as their best friend prepares to leave. They express anxiety about the life they built around their friendship coming to an end and feel unsure about how to move forward without their best friend as a constant presence.

How does the narrator cope with the impending changes in their relationship with their best friend?

The narrator acknowledges the inevitability of change but strives to face it with grace, support, and positivity. They focus on accepting their friend's new chapter in life and letting go, even though it's painful. The narrator emphasizes the importance of letting the other person grow and finding peace with their own feelings of loss.

Why does the narrator cry in the final moments of the video?

The narrator cries because of the emotional weight of their goodbye. The realization that their 18-year-long friendship is transitioning into a new phase, where they won’t be as intertwined, hits them deeply. The video ends with a raw, heartfelt farewell to their best friend, expressing gratitude for the shared memories and love over the years.