by BabyCenter Guest Blogger posted in Parenting

By Lisa Meyers Johnson

A while back, my daughter had her first misunderstanding with a good friend at school. It was drama filled and, in her young mind, the end of their friendship. She didn?t have perspective, just hurt feelings and sadness.
As it is with most young children, all was better within a day or so. Gigi worked things out with her friend. And that began our journey learning Friendship 101.
After another, recent disagreement with a neighborhood friend, I paused as I was giving Gigi my typical advice. ?Friends go through things from time to time,? I told her. ?If you care enough about the friendship, you will find a way to work it out. All you have to do is try to communicate as best you can and that goes both ways. You have to listen as well and it will all work out.? And that?s when I heard myself" It will all work out.

It will all work out"

The harsh reality is, it doesn?t always work out.
As she gets older, the elementary understanding of being a friend will get more complex, as will the disagreements. Many variables will determine whether everything will work out, and I should be cautious of giving her the hope that friendships will always mend. I may be setting her up for possible heartache down the line if I continue to paint such a rosy picture.
Friendships can end horribly and without warning. They can end under ambiguous, confusing circumstances, the worst of which is the betrayal and cruelt...