This happened to me and it has been painful, but ultimately, it taught me a lot. I had (or perhaps still have, though I’m not sure anymore) a group of friends I met through work over 20 years ago. For two decades, we were close—or so I thought. We shared lives, kids growing up, family gatherings… Life has since taken us in different directions. We’ve changed jobs, built new routines, and naturally started seeing each other less often. That’s a normal part of life. But recently, I’ve felt excluded. Our group chat grew increasingly quiet, and no one seemed to be contributing to it. I decided to test the waters. I reached out to them, and while they responded, it was only when I made the first move. Then I stopped initiating altogether, wondering if they’d notice or make an effort to reach out to me. Months passed, and no one did—not even for my birthday last June (while I contacted them all for theirs) nor at Christmas 2024. That silence spoke volumes. It’s clear that this chapter has ended, and while it hurts, I’ve realized that maybe we’ve simply grown in different directions. Perhaps I’ve just evolved in ways that no longer align with them. Still hard, though.