The love of my life has bipolar illness. Early on, he would go silent and drop out of sight, blowing off anything that we had planned together. Because he had told me up front about his diagnosis, I overlooked and forgave a lot. Over time, he has gotten much better, and the reward for my patience has been a fantastic relationship with a fantastic guy.

On the other hand, being too ready to forgive those who simply flaked out because being there for you simply wasnʻt that important to them … invest the limited time and energy that you have available in those who were there for you—they are the ones who will enrich your life in the long run. The “unreliable friends” are just friendly acquaintances, to be enjoyed when you happen to be around them—but donʻt expect more than that.