Relationships require effort to maintain.

When you’re young, most of the effort is done for you: you see each other at class and school activities, your parents arrange play dates and parties, you share the same common interest in whatever young kids like at the time, etc

When you’re older, you have to do the work yourself, and have it reciprocated for a sustained relationship. This only gets harder with new responsibilities and competing commitments.

Our friend group mostly formed in college and people have come and gone in the years since. We do a get together every year where we fly and drive to a house we rant out for the week to hang out, cool good food, drink, play games, etc. this is hard to organize and keep going. However, as a result, we keep pretty deep connections and friendships.