I just got a message from an old friend and we're using words that I don't remember we used when we were together years ago as friends. It's kinda awkward but you could tell we're both happy to reconnect.
Have you ever reconnected with a friend after years apart... No conflict, just distance and things no longer feel the same?
What causes that awkward shift, and how do you navigate the friendship now? Should time apart really change what friendship means?
Well, me and my close friends never connect. We just meet whenever the fate decides, and we act as same as before. However, for normal friends, the first scenario is same. But we have to pretend to be sweet, some formal sharing of words and all that stuff.
I think time naturally changes people... reconnecting might feel awkward at first, but the friendship can slowly find its rhythm again. 😊
Yeah, I believe so too but some things don't change among friends.
Yes, we're finding the rhythm again.
You're so on point. Reconnecting only works when you're not trying to force it. Take it slow and flow with how it turns out
You know there's a way some people bring up conversations like it should be exactly like how it used to be and you are like, no we've grown pass this and should maturely hold better conversations especially when it has pass the first or second reconnected conversation
Lol actually! Some people don't even change after many years have passed and I mean, in understanding that some things don't stay the same. It has happened to me a lot but I think there are perks to that.
Yeah and I think it's like that because life can't happen to us in the same way so our experiences and understandings are always different
This is a very natural occurrence.
Whenever it happens to me, I don't fight it, I just keep the flow to catch up and if the flow refuses to flow, I let things be. Life no suppose hard
Yes o, I think that's where it shouldn't be forced at all. If it flows, it flows and if it doesn't, you can understand quickly why it doesn't.
Seriously o. This is just it.... Catch up with the flow and if it's not flowing, pack up
Yes I have. We reconnected but i think the connection was no longer there because we've all outgrown that stage of life where those kind of communication was relevant
I can totally understand that, connection can be distorted by time like network to data. 😅
I think time changes people, even when there was never any bad blood. You both grow, experience different things, and sometimes the version of the friendship you remember no longer fits who you are now
I think so too but don't you think it's something that could stop a friendship from being a friendship?
No. It can't because you shared a bond right from time. And when you eventually meet again, you guys are trying to reconnect. It will only stop if you probably are not on a good term
I’ve experienced that kind of awkwardness before. I think the mistake is trying too hard to recreate the old friendship. Sometimes you just have to allow the new version to develop naturally
Hmmm that's right, I think that's the correct word, we were trying too hard to relive what had already been in our past and forget to just live today and what's to come. I wonder which is easier to do though.
It depends on the type of person you are. And it's best if you just talk about the present to catch up. The past might just come up in a while, like, "Do you remember you used to say this back then..." Just a little flash back
Haha I've seen a lot of old friendships bond that way, even I have use that tactic to catch up past happenings.
Which is the fact that most of us fail to understand. We want that same old feelings and conversation mode
Which is almost not possible for some friendships, especially depending on how the pause came before.
Time apart doesn’t necessarily make the friendship less real. Sometimes it just means you have to get to know each other again due to that long time apart
Yeah, asking more questions than just trying to hold a conversation with what no longer fits between you two. It's like starting from the beginning again.
Exactly! And if you are done catching up with the presents, naturally the past connection will resurface. I've witnessed this before. It might just be in a funny memorable way
Yeah, when the jokes picks things that happened when you two were not together. 😅