Welcome to another chapter of Thursday Chronicles, where we open real-life files like meat pie, and taste the bittersweet stuff that nobody really wants to talk about. If you’ve ever stared at an old friend’s photo and quietly asked yourself, “How did we even stop talking?”, this one is for you. Grab emotional zobo and sit tight.
One of the most painful but underrated experiences in adulthood is growing apart from friends who once felt like family. You don’t fight. There’s no drama. No insult. Just a slow, quiet drift, like a radio slowly going out of frequency until all you hear is static.
It starts subtly. You stop talking every day. Then every week. Then suddenly it’s been three months since you last spoke, and you’re both posting birthday wishes on Instagram like strangers in each other’s lives. And the worst part? You’re not even angry. You just feel… weird.
How did you go from texting every day to “Hey, long time!” once in a blue moon?
Life happened. Growth happened. Circumstances changed. Maybe you moved cities, changed jobs, got into a relationship, or simply evolved into a different version of yourself. Your priorities shift. Your schedules clash. And somehow, even though you still care, you’re not in sync anymore.
You want to reach out. You even type the message sometimes. But then you remember the last 3 messages went unanswered. Or maybe you’re afraid that reconnecting will feel forced. So you delete it and scroll past. Again.
And it hurts. Because this person knew your secrets. They were your go-to for gossip, your safe space, your lunch break companion, your “call me when you get home” person. They were there through heartbreak, through campus stress, through bad decisions and bounce-backs. And now? You just watch them live their life through Insta stories and birthday captions from other people.
You want to blame them. But deep down, you know you also stopped trying. Adulting is exhausting. Between work, family pressure, romantic relationships, chasing money, and trying not to cry in public, sometimes friendships take the backseat, not intentionally, but by survival instinct.
You see their updates, maybe even miss them, but something holds you back from reaching out. Pride? Fear of awkwardness? Or just the weight of everything else going on? You tell yourself, “If they cared, they’d check in too,” forgetting they might be thinking the exact same thing about you.
Some friendships don’t end with a bang. They end with silence. Not out of hatred, but out of life pulling people in different directions. And that’s okay. Not every relationship is meant to last forever. Some are seasonal. Beautiful. Purposeful. But temporary.
Still, it’s okay to grieve them.
It’s okay to miss what you had and wish you could go back. It’s okay to smile at old photos and feel a sting of nostalgia. It’s okay to remember the laughs and wonder if they remember too. It means the friendship meant something. That it was real. That it mattered.
But it’s also okay to reach out. To send that message. To say “I miss you” without shame. Maybe the spark returns. Maybe it doesn’t. But at least you tried. Because some friendships don’t need fixing, they just need a little reminder.
And if the chapter has truly ended, let it end with love. No bitterness. No hard feelings. Just gratitude that it happened, and peace that it served its time.
Friendship isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s knowing when to hold on, and when to let go gently.
Thanks again for tuning into Thursday Chronicles, the only place where we gist about heartbreak that isn’t romantic.
Whether you’ve kept all your friends since nursery school or you’re currently recycling your WhatsApp contacts, know this: you’re not alone. The heart has many doors, and some friendships, even when they fade, leave the room warmer than they found it.
Catch you next Thursday, same feelings, same truth, same cruise in grown-up packaging. Until then, may your friendships be genuine, your bonds be soft, and your connections age like fine wine… or at least chilled Zobo.
