I realized anew today, pursuant to the above paragraph, how true it is that what we don't like in others may well be something we have and don't care for in ourselves. It reminds me to lighten up and not be so judgmental.
I also realized that, just because I have known someone for a long time, doesn't mean we must always be friends. Although I have known that people come into our lives and some subsequently leave, I don't think that was real to me until recently. I guess I thought loyalty meant never having to say you're sorry. Sometimes, loyalty simply means a long time. Sometimes, the hook that brought you together left a long time ago but nobody noticed.
I hope I can find this entry again and that I can maintain some degree of continuity.
If you have any thoughts about these ideas, or anything else, I'd love to hear them.