Sophie’s Notebook

When Friends Change: Feeling Left OutSophie and Emma had been best friends since the very first day of kindergarten. From that moment on, they did everything together.One Summer, Emma went away on vacation with her family. Without her best friend, Sophie felt lost and lonely. Days seemed quieter, and nothing felt quite as fun. Then, Sophie met a new girl named Zoe. They quickly became besties, laughing and hanging out and Sophie began to feel happy again.When Emma came back to school in the fall, Sophie introduced Emma to Zoe, hoping they would all get along. At first, they didn’t. Emma and Zoe were unsure of each other, and things felt a little awkward. But over time, they began to warm up, and soon the three girls were hanging out together.Then something changed. Zoe and Emma started hanging out without Sophie. At first, it only happened once or twice, but soon it became more frequent. Sophie began to feel left out, watching from the sidelines as her two friends grew closer without her. After a while, Zoe and Emma hung out together all the time and didn’t include her.Sophie felt sad and alone again,Then Sophie discovered new friendships and new moments of joy. Little by little, she realized that while friendships can change, there is always room for new friends.Understanding how exclusion can be hurtful and can be considered bullying