How I did it: At least a year ago, my best friend began dating a man no one approved of. He was old enough to be her father and he had served jail time for being a sex offender. She, barely legal at the time, would not listen to a word anyone said. As long as she got her way, she didn't care who she hurt. Normally, I'd stand by her side no matter what... but not this case. I stood up for what I believed in, which was that the relationship was wrong. We argued and we fought before we parted ways. The years of our wonderful friendship shattered by this man she had only known for a few months. I waivered occasionally, but in the end, I always stood by my opinion firmly. I did not utter a single word to her for nearly five months. The silence, I thought, was louder than actions and spoken word. When the relationship ended, we slowly repaired our friendship. To this day, our friendship has never been the same, but it gets a little better slowly, day by day. I still don't trust her completely as I once did, but we're slowly getting there. I was proud of myself for staying true to my thoughts and opinions, even if someone very important to me didn't share the same sentiments. I had caring friends backing me up and I found the courage to move forward with what I knew was right.

Lessons & tips: It's so very hard sometimes, but keep moving forward and it'll be worth it in the end. Do what feels right to yourself, because in the end, all you may have is yourself and you have to stay true to it.

Mar 07, 11:20PM PST | 2 comments | 2 cheers