We have talked about the various forms of change that may alter our lives through time and circumstance. Even the friendships we form are subject to great change. Of course, it is natural for friend groups to change over time; bonds diminish, people grow apart. The interests that once united us with a person, be it a team sport or a mutual love of painting, may no longer hold the same significance as they once did. We are, after all, evolving and growing every day, so it is common and even necessary for relationships to fall by the wayside as we shift into the people we are becoming.
Some friendships may end through betrayal or a shifting of personal standards or values, while others may fade naturally. In either case, this does not devalue these previous bonds, as they offered something valuable to us at one point, something we desired or valued. Indeed, most friendships have their importance in a particular place in our lives. We can both acknowledge its significance in time, while still embracing the changes we made that may have distanced us from former bonds.
Childhood friends grow apart, just as work friends may no longer stay in touch when they change jobs. Personally, when I abandoned my drug-heavy, herd community for the clarity of sobriety, the further I distanced myself from those people, the closer I was to finding my true purpose. While I know these friends and this self-destructive way of life offered me an escape from my pain, I now look back on those days and see how far I have come as a result of that change.
Some friendships are unshakable and stay with us throughout our lives. Others may crack or be lost, only to meet with reconciliation down the road. Some friendships are easy and carefree, others require effort and maintenance. We may even take for granted how difficult it is to make new friends, especially as adults, but we should always be open to adaptability as we continue to grow as people. It may even be challenging to reconcile with the loneliness that follows a friendship break-up and the gap it leaves, but when we are open to change and new possibilities, we can make room in our lives more easily for new favorites in whatever form they come.