Make New Friends... Keep the Old...

Question: Do you ever miss some of the friends you decided to lose contact with?

Answer: I'm not sure what direction to go with this question, so I'll interpret it both ways:

1. Friends that you have just grown apart from over time are always easier to let go of, because it's something that happens over a period of time. You can go from seeing them every week to seeing them once a month - to a couple times a year and because it happens so slowly when you think to yourself "I haven't seen/talked to X in awhile" it's never difficult or weird to pick up the phone and talk to them or use the fall back: facebook to reconnect. There are times though that I look at these individuals online to catch up a little on what they're doing and yes, I occasionally miss them. Other times though, seeing what their new interests are make me realize why we're no long close.

This is much more common in my present life. I feel like the 'twenty somethings' of the world are all at different stages in their lives. Obviously those who like to party regularly might see me as a grandma for having a husband, a house, a child, etc. But of course it's always nice to reconnect with friends you may have let go of a little to catch up and maybe 'let loose" a little yourself.

For example, there are a good hand full of people I only see at parties/special events and this works out well! They too have their own group of 'regulars' so it's nothing awkward.

2. In my life, I don't feel that I've decided to lose contact with very many people. There are a very small handful of people who I have specifically stopped talking to for one reason or another and in general those relationships are the hardest to let go of.

Typically in these types of relationships, I could say I miss these individuals. There's usually a moment, an event, a juncture in your life where you believe you're doing what's best for yourself/your family/the friend and you can't help but think that things would probably better if you just both went your separate ways. Typically it is - but obviously as time passes, perhaps things become a little more vague.

My life has changed a lot over the last year - two years - five years - ten years, etc. It's always nice to catch up with old friends, no matter what the situation! :)