Nobody tells you that growing up sometimes means growing apart.
Fez – Nobody warns you about this part. One day you’re sharing snacks in class, making plans to grow old together, swearing you’ll be besties forever, then suddenly, you’re in your mid-20s, scrolling past people you used to love like they’re strangers. It feels weird. It feels sad. But it’s also kind of normal.
Here’s the truth: friendships in your 20s are different. Life starts moving faster, and people move in different directions. Some of your friends are getting married. Some are moving abroad. Some are still figuring things out, and some… just drift away. No drama, no fight, just silence that keeps growing.
It’s not that you stop caring. It’s that life stops making space for the easy, everyday friendships you used to have.
Remember those random coffee hangouts that turned into 5-hour therapy sessions? Those don’t happen as much when you’re juggling work, family, stress, and whatever personal crisis you’re hiding from your Instagram stories.
And the truth is, you change too. The version of you that existed at 18 isn’t the same person at 25.
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Some friendships are built for growth, they shift with you, adjust, survive the chaos. But some friendships stay stuck in old patterns, and suddenly they feel heavy, awkward, or just not right anymore. That’s not failure, it’s growth.
Here’s the part no one says enough: it’s okay. Losing friends doesn’t mean you’re bad at friendships. It doesn’t mean you’re selfish or unlovable.
It means you’re evolving. And not everyone is meant to walk with you through every stage of life. Some people are just there for a chapter, a beautiful, funny, unforgettable chapter, but not the whole book.
The best part? When some doors close, new ones open. Your mid-20s and beyond are full of new friendships waiting to happen.
Friendships that fit the person you are now, not just the person you used to be. Some of the realest, most solid friendships you’ll ever have might show up when you least expect them, at 27, 32, even 40.
So if your circle gets smaller, don’t panic. It’s not a failure, it’s just life clearing space for what fits better.
And for the friends you lost along the way? They were never really lost. They were part of your story. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll cross paths again, older, softer, and ready for a different kind of friendship.
