"Let’s talk about the elephant in the room." These words were spoken by my friend many years ago, marking the beginning of a difficult but much-needed conversation.

It was obvious early on that our friendship was fraught with growing issues, but I was too scared to initiate the conversation. I was afraid of the answers and unsure of how to handle them.

Luckily for me, he had the courage to bring it up. As we started talking, we wore our hearts on our sleeves and let everything out. It wasn't easy. He cried. I cried. But we parted on good terms and haven’t really spoken since.

As the years pass, I find myself increasingly respecting the way he handled the situation and acknowledging the courage it took. He was mature and sincere, and we both listened to each other’s perspectives. That experience helped me develop that same strength in my own life—something I’m still practicing today. Sometimes, the only way around the storm is through it. And having hard conversations might just be the key to closure and moving forward.