Friendships are easy when you are young. While spending five days a week in school surrounded by people your own age, finding friends and keeping them is natural. Even college and university days are great for keeping up with mates, as you usually don’t have a family or a full-time career to worry about. Unfortunately, once you enter adulthood, staying in touch with your favorite people becomes harder, especially if you move away from your hometown.
Don’t worry, though, as you don’t have to let your friendships fizzle out no matter how old you are – it just requires a little more effort. If you want to have your best friends around you in your forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond, here is how.
Be There for the Big Moments
You don’t have to spend every single weekend with a friend to keep up the relationship. It is important to be there for the big moments, however. If your friend gets married, has a baby, moves home, or completes a degree, you should be there to celebrate by their side. Likewise, for the sadder events – if they go through a family loss or a divorce, be there to hold their hand.
Of course, it’s not always feasible to be physically present during huge life milestones, especially if you live far away, so aim to reach out in any way you can. If your friend has recently moved home, look for housewarming gifts for your friends, as it will show you’re thinking of them (and they’ll likely invite you over for an upcoming weekend!).
Make Plans for Specific Dates
You know how it goes – with many adult friendships, one person says that everyone simply must meet up soon, only for those plans to disappear into the nether. While the intentions are certainly there, it’s not always easy to keep up with them unless the plans have been solidified with an actual date. So, the next time you try to make plans with your friends, set a date, time, and place, and then put it in your calendar.
Keep Up to Date on Social Media
Social media provides people with easy communication no matter how far away they are, which helps keep up with friends who’ve moved across the country (or the world). Whether you’re a regular Facebook user or you prefer to scroll through Instagram, there are plenty of ways to keep in touch, whether that’s through messaging, sharing videos/images, or commenting under your mate’s posts.
Accept How Friendships Evolve
Keeping a friendship alive doesn’t mean seeing each other as much as you did in your teens or your twenties. People’s priorities evolve as they age, which means friendships evolve, too. Too much expectation can kill an adult friendship, so figure out everyone’s boundaries and respect that while you might not see your friends as much, that doesn’t mean you aren’t important to one another.
Friendships are just as necessary at sixty as they were at sixteen. By keeping your friends close, you ensure you always have people to laugh with and rely on.
CONVERSATION