They say that as we grow older, our circles grow smaller. And perhaps that is not loss, but refinement. Yes, I still mourn some friendships. It was never an issue of betrayal or brokenness, but rather distance, time, inevitable change, perhaps the quiet evolution of becoming. And so I hold the memories gently ; they live where they are free to remain beautiful, untouched by what changed.
One day, I told a colleague, “I have many acquaintances at work, but not friends.”
He looked at me as though I had spoken something radical. But it was simply truth.
We can build, collaborate, and succeed together without sharing our inner worlds.
Friendship, when it grows in such spaces, is a gift and never an obligation.
With time, I have learned the sacred art of protecting my space, drawing boundaries not in anger, but in wisdom. I have learnt to guard the quiet corners of my heart where peace resides.
Growth demands discernment. Not everyone who walks beside you is meant to walk within you. Some are companions for the road and not residents of the heart. Some souls are kind yet misaligned. Some cloud your clarity, unsettle your center, chip away at your confidence
with words so subtle they almost sound like concern. Some take without noticing they are taking, and plant doubt where God has spent years cultivating courage.
Community is necessary. We were never designed to journey alone. But wisdom is equally necessary, the wisdom to know who belongs in the crowd and who belongs in the circle. We all carry each other, in ways seen and unseen. We shape destinies simply by showing up or by stepping away. That is the quiet architecture of human existence.
Protect your inner circle. Protect the space where you can exhale fully. Here, your laughter is unedited, and your spirit can dance without shrinking. Not everyone is meant to enter that sanctuary.
This is not cruelty. It is social intelligence. It is stewardship.
Cheers. Showers of blessings.
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