A fight with a friend is tough. Mistakes, misunderstandings, arguments or whatever the reason can cause fallout among even the best of friends. Friends sometimes have to ask themselves the big question: how do we mend a friendships if disagreements seem so serious?

A good outcome will depend on how much effort one puts in and how one approaches the situation. First, we need to understand what the problem is and where it began. We need to reflect on the incident from our friend’s perspective. Consider her feelings, how she acted or what she said. Was it her fault for reacting the way she did? Although it may hurt to remember, one can discover a lot by seriously thinking through the situation.

Communication is essential to solving problems. It calls for open-mindedness and listening to what the other person has to say. We too often have a tendency to ignore people we are mad at or run away from the situation. Ultimately, this solves nothing.

Sometimes it takes more than once to reach out to a friend. After one has tried to mend the friendship, step back and let time heal the wounds. If it was meant to work out, then everything will fall back into place, but if not, the only thing one can do is let go.

Like everything else, friendships have beginnings and endings. It is understandable that people have limits as to how much they can accept. Sometimes people reach a point where they have to let go and walk away, which in many cases is the hardest thing to do. When one turns away from a long-time friend it can leave them with feelings of betrayal, anger or disappointment. The only cure is time.

As a result of human nature, some friendships are bound to fail while others thrive. What people can take away with them from either failed or successful friendships is newfound wisdom about themselves and the world around them.