Remeber that friend you used to be inseparable from? Your best friend, life wife, or a partner in crime.
For whatever reason, the friendship burned out. Forgotten birthdays, being left on "read", and overall lack of communication are ways old friends can let you down.
Whether it was going off to different schools, physical distance, new obligations, or significant others that drove you apart - it still hurts.
It's hard to watch someone you used to spend so much time with start investing in other people and activities.
As humans, we crave intimacy with people and deep friendships. Losing the people that you have invested time, emotions, money, and love into sucks.
Friendships can be repaired. It’s not easy, but if both parties are willing to work towards a common goal, the relationship can turn around. The key here is that both parties have to be on board.
A balanced and healthy relationship looks like a game of catch. Both people take turns throwing and catching the ball. Friendship takes two people, so it is necessary for both people to contribute to maintaining balance.
Friendship isn’t dodgeball. Pelting the other person with ball after ball while waiting for them to throw one back is exhausting. Being the person to constantly initiate conversation and make plans without reciprocity is a red flag.
If you have passed the ball in their court and they haven’t passed it back, it might be time to move on.
Visualize your life five years down the road. If you continued to reach out, would your friendship look any different from what it looks like now? What would happen if you stopped reaching out?
Appreciate the time you had with that person, whether it was one year or a decade. I am a firm believer that some people aren't meant to be with you forever. This person may have served their full purpose by leading you to this next crossroad in life. It is easy to feel bitter and angry at them, but remember to find the silver lining.
The people that are worthy of your time will make it apparent that you are a priority. Remind yourself that losing friends is, unfortunately, a normal part of life. As a friend, you only have so many resources to distribute among the people in your life. Some chose to invest in several surface-level friends. Others use their resources in a handful of deeper relationships.
Maintain relationships with people who reach out and put in as much effort as you do. Play catch with people who throw the ball back.
