How long have you known your best friend?

Sure its possible to outgrow each other...the things we had in common as teens will definately change as we go into adulthood and even more as we get older as adults..I'm nothing like I was when I was 14/15/16 yrs old ya know..So some of the ppl I was close with back then, no longer mesh with me nor I with them ya know so ya we've drifted apart....However I have friends that I grew up with from young childhood and even though we have absolutely nothing in common now that we're all in our late 30s really has had no effect on our friendship which is cool... My oldest friends I've known for 30+ yrs we all grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to school together, hung out together and so on and though all of us are completely different now as adults it really doenst matter ya know...We may not hang out together anymore etc but we're still great friends...My best friend from high school I've known for over 20 yrs and though we've had our scraps and didnt speak for a few yrs etc we're still best friends cause we've been through so much together and we "get" each other ya know.... Maybe you dont have a best friend OFFline but how about ONline? I have a couple of close friends that I know online that I consider part of my best friends group.....

Me and my best friend have known each other for twelve years now. When I think of it, I can't believe for that long. She went abroad for like four years and is now based in the US whilst I am based in the UK...and we're still as close as ever!

I think it’s normal to lose that closeness of high school friends- My best friend from high school lives on the other side of the states- We talk every couple of months- I don’t consider her my best friend anymore- My new best friend and I have been friends for about 8 or 9 years- She is my adult best friend-

Without meaning to sound blunt, you need to move on with life. I had best friends at school that I kept in touch with for years and then eventually we grew apart. We became friends at school as it was a forced environment and you could only choose your friends from the people that were available. The real world has so many more opportunities to make friends and unlike family, you can pick and choose your friends. Don't mourn the loss of a friend (who as you say you are still in contact with but use this as an opportunity to get to know your social group a bit better - there must be some people in the group who you gel with more than the others - take time to get to know them better - see if you have shared interests, even basic interests such as liking the same type of films, books, arts, food, gardening, whatever. The world is your oyster, there are good friends out there waiting to be made :) Good luck. x

Me and my best friend has known each since we where 13 or 14 years old. Sure there was a time when we lost touch but nothing changed much we still consider each other as best of friends. I know I can rely on her when I need help and she knows she can rely on me. Her son is my godchild and I know when I have children of my own she will also stand in as godmother to one or all of them.

i think it is quite possible. i know my best friend for about 10 years. we know each other so well that sometimes we have big fights with her. but we didn't fall that apart thanks to god. because what you say is right, it is about the choices we have made in our lives. our basic values about life are the same, so even we may think different in some occasions, we still have a common understanding about life, family, friendship and other stuff. that's what keeps us together. but i experienced the same with some of my other friends. and it was exactly our life choices we made. i mean, when we began to lose our common values, i have a hard time talking to them, sharing my opinions with them. because we have such opposite thoughts about life that even none of us does something intentionally, our way of life put us apart more and more each day. and i think there is nothing wrong in this. it is just the course of time and the results of being an adult.

I have several friends with whom I was once best friends, but we grew apart. It's easier to stay friends in high school, where you have to see each other every day, and you have a lot of common life experiences. But after university, it's been more difficult. I think my current best friend and I will be friends for life, though.

My girlfriend and I has being friends now for over 30 years. We no longer live in the same area, but we talk every weekend. She is like my sister to me.

I have been friends with my best friend for about 26 years now and we are still so close. I haven't seen her in several years as she lives in another state and her husband is in the Navy. However, we talk often and we never seem to have been apart. It is almost like whatever she is talking about,I am too!

I have known my best friend since we were in fifth grade. We have been very closed since then. It is possible to outgrow or drift apart from your best friend but in my case, my best friend and I will continue to be the best of friends till we die. We went to different universities and have acquired different friends and experiences but whenever we meet, our bond of friendship remains the same or even stronger. :)

My goodness your circumstances are almost a mirror image of something I am going through with my oldest friend. We've known each other for 20 years this Fall. During the past year things have changed and I do not know if we will ever be able to recover the bond we once shared. I can relate to your feelings of loss. I treasure those that I have history with and long standing friends give us that. Having a best buddy is so comforting and they take time to develop. It is sad to hear about your circumstances...and even though I still have hope that my friend and I will be able to redefine our relationship and have the best parts of the old with something new...at this point I am not sure. It is very reminiscent of something I have come to accept. People are in our lives for a reason..a season..or a lifetime. I guess your friend and mine fall into the reason and season catagory...and I regret that too. Thanks for posting this and giving me a chance to air my feelings too. Good luck in finding a new best buddy!

Its really hurting drifting apart from best friend. I had a school day friend. Since her father was tranfered to a different place, she has to move. On day of departion i even couldn't speak to her as she left already and i was late by 5 minutes. still now i feel like seeing her but dont know where she is. I too had best friend in my college days. she loves me more but i dont equally reciprocate. I sometimes really feel that none will have best friends. Time alone can answer for the lost friendship.

35 years, since we were nine years old! In fact all of my "best friends" are childhood buddies. I think some people do drift apart as they get older due to different life circumstances, but the trust should still be there :-)

I am in touch with my school friends who were then my best friends. I totally agree with you. As life passes on we are preoccupied with so many other things in life. Our friends too walk in their direction of life. Though they are not my best friends now, I shall always cherish the wonderful times we spent in school. I guess the similar situation happens to most of us. They are a lucky few who continue to have the "best friends " status.

yup this has happened to me my best freind and i were friends since public school and though high school. she was a year older than me and had graduated a year before me well during the year that she had off she totally changed and i did too. but the changes that both of us made were to dramatic to even be close friends any more. we drifted apart. but hey life goes on.

I've known my best friend for 6 years, and it seems we're getting closer and closer to each other. But yes, I believe it is possible to drift apart from a former best friend. That's because people change. Circumstances change. And we certainly have a choice who to be friends with.

Hi,awonderfullife! I have known my best friend for more than 13years.We knew each other in primary school.We went home together and found that we lived in the same building.Her apartment is on the 12th floor and mine is on the 4th.So after school,we always went her home or my home,did homework together and played together or ate together.We are good friends,at the same time,the best competitor.I didn't want to lose in examination and so did she.So the No.1 and No.2 were always us. We still kept in touch with each other,until now.Though we are university students but we still go outside together.

me and my best friend have been best friends for about 6 years.

I know how it feels to outgrow a friend. Sometimes things change, people change and so do our relationships. I feel jealous of people who seem to keep their long time friendship as tight as it was years before. I don't have that kind of friend too. I may have lots of friends I have known for a long time, but I could not say we are still best of friends. Sometimes I think its better that we outgrow our friends than to stay stagnant. Unless you don't want to grow, we won't be able to if we limit our friendship we have known our whole lives.

Hey this happens to the best of us. I have a good friend for over 17 years but I would not say she is my best friend because there are certain things I just would not share with her. I would prefer to keep silent on those issues. you have out grown each other due to interests, career choices and just plain growth. Do not worry about it. If you miss the friendship then you may have to start all over again and try to find a common ground of interest - a game, a show, to start from. If not you need to develop other friendships and go out more. Friendships are very good things to invest your time.