Adult Friendships: Why Are They So Fragile?

I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships lately — the ones I’ve lost, the ones I’m trying to maintain, to strengthen. Many people don’t talk about the maintenance and heartbreak of platonic relationships. How can we nourish them and how do we cope if they end? I never asked myself these questions until I started to lose friends as an adult and experienced the profound sadness that follows. I’ve come to realize that losing a friend is akin to losing a romantic partner. Even though all signs point to a breakup, you can’t help but think of all the good memories when it ends.

Unlike our teenage years, where our lives were centered around friendships, adulthood doesn’t allow us as much time to focus on our friends. We have other responsibilities, like our careers, romantic partners, and/or children. Friendships are thrown into the mix, but we have less of an opportunity to make new friends. So instead, we try fostering the ones we already have while juggling everything else going on in our lives. Life at this stage and age is more serious now. Having friends just because they’re fun to be around doesn’t really cut it anymore.

Read more in my monthly newsletter, here: https://itsnotthatpersonal.substack.com/p/adult-friendships-why-are-they-so