Reason, Season, or Lifetime...

OK, So I read recently that friendships fall in one of the three categories. Reason, Season, or Lifetime. We have all had friendships that fall into each of these categories. When I read this it got me to thinking...Which can be scary.
ANYWAY...
I started to think about one of my dearest friendships. One that I have been apart of for nearly 15 years. We are both gay men and actually came out to one another 6 1/2 years ago. A lot has changed in our lives and we have always managed to remain friends through some very hard times. We both grew up in very religious households and struggled greatly with our own acceptance. I say all of this because here lately I feel like our friendship is coming to the end of its season. This saddens me very much because I thought this guy and I would be friends for a lifetime. It seems that the two of us have gone in different directions and its becoming more and more strange and odd when we are around each other. This is a friend that I have a great deal of history with and its just sad to see it go like this.
Yes, I have had friendships over the years that ended and it was a sad time...But none like this. Its just strange to grow into the person that you are meant to be and to have a someone not be able to deal. I will say though, that when He & I became friends a while back I was much more of a doormat, and generally built my life around trying to make his happy. Well, that has all since changed. I no longer drop everything that I am doing to do what He says. I don't rearrange my schedule to accommodate His and I no longer will put up with His BS and have little patients for his "I know what's best for you" attitude. I will give the guy a little credit...When he isn't being crazy and controlling the guy has an amazing heart and will give you the shirt off his back if you need it bad enough. Well, all that seems to be changing now.
I no longer live to please him and now the shoes seems to be on the other foot. He has a boyfriend and in the beginning he made the mistake (like so many others) of forgetting everyone else in His life. Well, now he keeps getting put out that I don't drop everything in my schedule to hang out and its starting to piss me off. He has started applying the "silent" treatment to get his way and its just not going to work. The whole thing makes me mad because I had always been there for him and now he is making it difficult to remain friends with this new attitude. IM not saying I am perfect, far from it; I just don't have the patience anymore. There is more to me now and I think its intimidating for him. I do not want to be the person that drops everything, and this is starting to piss him off.
I guess I say all of this to really just state how sad it is when a friendship is drawing to an end and there is really no solution or "banded" for the problem. Growth can be a tough time and the lesson learned, if you are paying attention, can be invaluable. Its just sad that this growth can cause a friendship (that you thought was for a lifetime) to come to and end and only be meant for a season.
I am not going to have some difficult talk with him and end things...We have talked many times about this...But I am unwilling to go back to the person that he sees me as and frankly I deserve more respect then that. I will continue to pray for him and I only want love, peace, happiness, and joy for him like I am sure he wants for me. Its just sad that when you finish a chapter in your "book" and realize one of the main characters will no longer be playing a major role. I guess this yet another stage of growth in life that I must embrace and try to look for the lesson so that all of this will not have been done in vain.
Until Next Time...