The ones that come and go.

     You will find times in your second life where you meet people that you will become close to. The amount of friends that you will make can be outstanding. Some of those friends will just be slight acquaintances that will come into your life for a moment. Sometimes you will see them around rarely and some you will see everyday. Some you will form lasting friendships with that will mean more to you then you realize and others will just bring a smile to your face when you see them. All of these friendships have a meaning and are special. Even if you only talk to them for brief periods, a single IM here or there saying hello, or catching up on what has gone on in your life. You never really know when you meet someone how important they may become to you. You find that out over time. A lot of the people you become close to will stay with you throughout your SL life. Others may drop out of sight for long periods or forever. When this happens you wonder about them and worry. Because we never know what happened to them, we don't know if they just ditched that SL life and started a new one or if something happened far worse. Unfortunately you can't let yourself ponder over it to much because more then likely the explanation is that they just simply stopped playing the game. You can imagine them laying on a calm sunny island somewhere shutting out the world or traveling to some far country if that makes you feel better. It all works as long as you don't let it bother you to much.
     Some of these people you become very close to, feelings change and relationships change everyday. How you handle those changes is up to you. Honesty is important with these relationships and friendships more then anything. A lot of these friendships may turn into more and then you find they don't work out. Do you stay friends or cut them out completely? I say no, they were friends before and they can stay friends. As long as honesty is there and you understand the reasoning all is good. Because basically although the avatar's are just pixels the people behind them are very real and so are the feelings. It is up to you yourself to decide how to handle the friends that come and go. How to handle the feelings that are involved, and the relationships. I believe that if you can stay friends through what ever happens that your life will be better for it.
      Anger and hostility have no place in SL, the whole reason we go there is to escape the drama's and realities of our real lives. Why should we bring that drama into SL? Keep it simple and emotions in check. There is no reason for hate even if things don't happen the way you may have thought or wanted them to be. No reason to stop being friends with all of the people that were associated with you. Unfortunately not all will feel this way and some people will cut all ties with you and others will remain.  It will be those that remain that will be the highlights, those that do not, well you can't let yourself dwell on it. Continue on with your SL life and leave the anger and resentment behind. Because when it all comes down to it, we come here for escape and entertainment. You can't deny it, but you can choose how you react to things in your Second Life. You can live it without resentment and hostility and let bygones be bygones or you can continue your Second Life letting the anger and hostility consume you till you react in an unflattering way. I choose the latter, to live and let bygones be bygones. To keep the friends that you can and let go the ones you can't go even if it hurts, because in the long run it will make for a better Second Life. Second Life is for fun, you may find love and lose it, you may find friendships and lose them too. In the long run however what you do is up to you but keep an open mind and try to live your Second Life in a positive way. Believe me you and the ones around you will be better for it. Throw the anger and hostility out the window and just let it float away on the wind and allow the clean clear breath back in to refresh and renew you. You will benefit in the long run if you can just let it go.
   Because in the end this is Your Second Life no one else's and only you can decide how it will play out. All you can do is do your best, try to keep the friends you can and let go those you can't, and hope to keep as many close to you as possible and not let them go unless you have to. For friendships are important to all of us and we should not allow them to fade away too easily. If they can be saved then save them don't let hard feelings ruin things. Let it go and get over it, it will mean a better SL for you and for those around you.