A friendship that has lasted through the years is rare. If you are lucky enough to have that childhood best friend who still knows everything about you, then keep them for the rest of forever.
Why do our friendships change as we get older? Is it because we are less innocent to how the world isn't always as nice as it seemed when we were young? Is it because we seem to "have less time" to not only cultivate, but to maintain these friendships when we're busy with jobs and school and other things happening in our life? When does this change occur, from being friends with someone just because they also love the Powerpuff girls as much as you do, to not being able to find time to meet up with that same person later in life for any longer than a quick coffee to catch up?
Maybe as we get older we become more afraid to open ourselves up to people, as we've been hurt or shut down before. We feel the need to put up a wall around ourselves or be fake, to keep people around because we don't wanna be alone… but these connections aren't real, they're unfulfilling and just a waste of time, so that we don't feel lonely. Just like in romantic relationships, people seem to have baggage when it comes to becoming close to someone platonically because it seems like you will grow apart for some reason, and you'll be alone again.
But this shouldn't stop us from wanting to become close to people or from reconnecting with those who we were once close with, just because they have formed other close connections in their life since you grew apart. They might still be the same personality you grew to love and spend time with, ready to be reacquainted. There is a reason and something that drew you to them in the first place. Or maybe they might have seemed to have changed a lot, in which case you may feel like you are going to be making a new friend. That's OK, too.
People grow up but that doesn't mean that they don't remember who they are and who you were when you were younger. Time is never an excuse to let go of a friendship which was or could have been great because you should always make the most of the time you have here on earth and the most important thing in your life is your relationships. Sometimes we mess up, and push people away. But people are often forgiving and willing to try again.
Maybe as we get older we lose our sense of open-mindedness. When you're young, the world is open and full of possibilities. But as we get older, we get more defensive of the opinions we have formed and the ideas we believe.
It's important to remember to have an open mind in order to open yourself up to as much of life you can experience. Never let go of a friendship that once was, because it could still be.
