Some Bridges Were Built to Collapse
Frenemies — Not a term I coined, but one I have seen play out repeatedly, not just in my personal experiences, but in the lives of people around me.
Some friendships begin like sturdy bridges. They connect us to opportunities, support, encouragement, and growth. For a while, everything seems genuine. The person is there when you need help. They celebrate your wins, offer advice, and become part of your journey. Looking back, you may even admit that certain milestones would have been difficult to achieve without them.
Then something changes.
The same bridge that once felt strong begins to crack.
It reminds me of those plastic chairs we all grew up seeing at parties. You sit on them for years without thinking twice. They carry your weight so effortlessly that you never question their strength. Then one day, in the middle of a conversation, the chair gives way. Not because it looked broken. Not because anyone warned you. It simply collapses beneath you.
Now, I am not talking about a plastic chair at a family gathering. I am talking about friendships.
The ones that seem dependable for years. The ones you trust without hesitation. The ones that make you believe they will always support you—until one day, they don’t.
The friend who once encouraged you now subtly belittles your efforts. The person who used to speak highly of you begins to question your abilities. Their compliments become rare, while criticism becomes frequent. Sometimes, they say things behind your back that they would never dare say to your face.
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What makes this difficult is that these people are not strangers. They are not obvious enemies either. They occupy that uncomfortable space between friendship and hostility. They know your strengths, your weaknesses, your fears, and your dreams.
Perhaps the most disappointing part is that some of these friendships were never particularly close. Yet there was still an unspoken bond and a level of trust. You never expected complete loyalty, but you certainly did not expect sabotage.
There are also those who call themselves friends but quietly hope you fail. They smile when you share your plans, but their actions reveal something different. They struggle to celebrate your progress and become uncomfortable whenever your success enters the conversation.
Over time, relationships like these can affect more than our trust in others. They can affect how we see ourselves. Constant negativity, subtle insults, and repeated attempts to minimise our achievements can slowly make us question our worth.
But NOT every collapsed bridge is a TRAGEDY
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Some bridges collapse because they were never meant to carry us for the entire journey. Some people enter our lives for a season, contribute what they can, and leave. Others reveal themselves through their actions, teaching us valuable lessons about boundaries, discernment, and self-respect.
The lesson is not to become suspicious of everyone. The lesson is to pay attention. Genuine friendship should challenge you to grow, not convince you that you are less than you are.
Because sometimes, when a bridge collapses, it is not a sign that you have lost something valuable.
It is a sign that it was never built to take you where you are going.
