b'Life with MSFFrriieennddsshhiippssTThhaattDDoonnttSSeerrvveeWhen is it time to let go?By Bhavya SuriAshumans,wecravecompanionship,every day. Your friends may initially understand especially during the hard times. Havingthat you have MS but may not understand friends allows us to cope with difficult times,how that affects you on a day-to-day basis, laughduringtheeasierones,andhaveaand still want to continue the friendship as sense of belonging in this world. But not allthough nothing has changed. They may want friends are meant to be best friends forever.to continue the activities you once enjoyed It can be painful when you do not know if thedoing together such as traveling, going hiking, friendship has run its course or if you shouldexploring the town, or even grabbing a meal continue to endure the uphill battles to ndto catch up.better days with your friends in the nearWhile these activities were once enjoyable future. So how can you tell if it is time to cutand feasible for you to do, things may now be your losses with the person you consider amore complicated. Catching up for a meal at close friend?a former favorite restaurant may not be ideal With every friendship, we tend to treadbecauseyouhavenewdietarypractices; lightly in the beginning. We trust someonegoing hiking or shopping on a hot day might with our secrets and let them enter our livesnot be as easy if it will increase your fatigue slowly, hoping for the best. Friendship requiresor heat intolerance symptoms. Your friends time and patience. We go through life andmayunderstand,butperhapstheymay with more time, we rely on our friends to beeventually start inviting you out less. This there for us and help us navigate through thecycle can continue until you rarely hear from ups and downs. Certain times are easier toyour friend, and the times you do, it is for a get through, such as a small fight over ashort conversation out of obligation.miscommunication. Other times, the problemsItisimportanttorememberthateach are much larger and may require a step backperson has a different tolerance for relationships. and some self-reection.Weallplacedifferentexpectationsonour One of the times a friendship can seemfriendships. What may work for you, may not difficult to continue is during a diagnosis,work for another person. Having an open, especially one such as multiple sclerosis. MShonest conversation about your expectations is an invisible disease, one that others mayandyourfriendsexpectationsmaybe not perceive though you are feeling symptomsenough to salvage the friendship, or it may msfocusmagazine.org 36'