Feeling Distant From Your Best Friend

I’ve had the same best friend since 1st grade. I distinctly recall her blonde pigtails poking into the blue sky, as she pummeled toward me on the playground. 

“Wanna play jump rope?”Her cheeks were like two fresh peaches, scattered with sandy freckles. 

“Sure!”

And thus commenced a life long bond of unyielding devotion. Through toxic boyfriends and long distance, our friendship ardently persists, but not without a few hiccups. Obviously, we have both changed since 1st grade. While our history serves as a solid foundation for our relationship,  we also must learn to independently evolve as adults. Unfortunately, this occasionally requires us to grow apart.

As life leads us in divergent directions, our relationship sometimes falls through the cracks. Weeks will go by without a call. Work, school, and family ties up our time. When the moment comes to reconnect, we’ve both changed, often for the better. However, a looming barrier dwells between us. Our minds no longer sing in blissful harmony. The conversation stagnates, our bodies grow tense, as we attempt to rebuild a fractured connection. 

All I can tell you is that it’s worth the fight. These humps are momentary, and absolutely normal. You may notice your best friend has evolved in unfamiliar ways; she may have developed new relationships with other people. These facts do not invalidate the long history you and your best friend share. Despite periods of separation, your friendship underlies every facet of your being, a sturdy foundation for all of life’s trials and tribulations. Nothing can usurp this bond; it is a forever kind of thing. 

If you ever feel a barrier emerging between you and your BFF, I recommend addressing it head on. Most likely, they feel a similar way, and long to reignite that loving spark. By engaging in open and honest communication, you rebuild these severed lines. Sooner than you know it, you’ll be back on the playground, skipping rope to the beat of your jubilant hearts. A true best friend is an enduring connection, resilient beneath the weight of time. Even as your bond waxes and wanes, the underlying love eternally fastens you together.