Thank you for your comments, I appreciate you taking the time to write them. I feel for you and the loss of your friendship, and I understand the strength you have found to move on from something that has been holding you back.

Since I wrote this post, I have returned home to Canberra, amongst the quality friends that I spoke of above. It’s a wonderful feeling to be amongst people who care about you, and who appreciate you simply for who you are.

I also believe that a true friend is not only one you can say no to, but also one who you’ll never want to say no to, and who will never say no to you. I think true friendship goes beyond saying yes or no.

If you wish to discuss this more, please contact me by email. All the best to you.

I just recently had a 17-year friendship end today because I realized it was a conditional friendship, and finally stood up for myself. I was feeling a bit down and did a google search for “conditional friendship” and came upon your blog.

I cannot express to you how empowering your words were. To be honest, after ending my long-term friendship I was a bit sad and worried that I might have made a mistake, but after reading your blog I realized that it was the right decision.

I believe that a true friend is one that you don’t have to be afraid to say “no” to, and one who will respect your thoughts and feelings even if they have a differing opinion. A true friend is a person you can truly bare your soul to without being judged. A true friend is one who encourages you to grow as a person, not someone who inhibits your growth so you can stay at the same level with them.

There are some aspects and good memories I will miss about my 17-year friendship, but the one thing I will definitely not miss is compromising my own opinions and thoughts just to please someone else.