It's a strange thing, to lose a friend. I've never really lost a friend before. The people who I cared for but drifted apart from were always on good terms, even when we disagree we remain cordial and honest. Those who left on bad terms, and few they are, were people that I wanted to distance myself from. The hard thing for me in this situation is letting go of a friendship I value, but who's preservation is out of my control.

I don't know what can be done.  Sometimes people are just not a good fit. Some people are dicks, as others are pussies.... This was the lesson I think I was supposed to learn by the following message and meme, accompanied by a literal middle finger on Facebook. I've never been publicly shamed on social media before, and I have to be honest to say this is pretty benign compared to what's out there. As with my other experiences of disappointing people, what hurts the most is not having an opportunity to fix it.  The last time I lost an opportunity to fix a mistake was when my mom died and I couldn't apologize to her.  This reminds me of that feeling, but given the context isn't nearly as devastating.

If I had the choice, I would not have allowed such a rift between friends. I wanted to do a good thing, but not all good things make good outcomes. Sometimes life experiences peel back the layers of who we are and who we want to be.  I guess I'll have to move forward, sans one friend.