LIFE

Are you graduating middle school? High school? Are you moving to a different town or state? Can you just really *feel* yourself growing up?

If you fall into any of these categories, maybe one of the heaviest things on your mind right now is what the dynamic with your best friends will be after all these changes. You may try to think about impending change as little as possible or it may be causing you stress. 

Friendship, especially your friendship with fellow girls, can be one of the most fulfilling aspects of your life. Sustaining those relationships is an effort that you likely won't ever come to regret. If you're unsure of *how* exactly to go about that, though, we have a series of realistic recommendations that will help you to keep friendships alive in small ways, even when your life is changing in big ways. 

Book club

A slightly creative way to keep in touch with friends is by reading the same book at the same time as them. It then gives you something to talk about and bond over. Sometimes when circumstances change, you may feel like you don't share much or have much in common with your friends, but this would give you that. Some people feel comfort in knowing that the people they miss are looking at the same moon as them, but you can find comfort in knowing that you're looking at the same pages, no matter how far apart you are. 

Girls' nights

If it's possible, carve out time where you can get together and host a little celebration with your friends. We have plenty of guides for girls' nights themes, inspired by anything from Mamma Mia! to Taylor Swift. When you see friends regularly, you can afford to enjoy comfortable silence and simple company together. When you see each other more infrequently, it is often wiser to ensure that your time together is more purposeful and special. 

Recap texts

Daily or constant communication can sometimes be unrealistic. It can be too much of an expectation to put onto some friendships that ultimately ends up straining them. If you feel like that's where your friendship is at, you can start a little tradition where you send each other a comprehensive recap text right after finals that details anything you want to share about your past semester. It can make you feel like you still *know* each other, even if you're not able to talk daily.

Shared photo album

If your aren't seeing your friends' faces everyday anymore, sharing photos with each other is a great substitute to keep familiarity alive. You can make a shared photo album on your phone, and each of you can periodically add in photos just to update each other about what may be going on in your lives, whether it be mundane activities or dream vacations. 

@jennibrhodes

A reminder that you should always keep in the back of your mind when trying these out is that it is natural to feel friendships fading. Tbh, it can be really saddening. No one really likes that their friends drift away, but it can happen without you necessarily noticing or wanting it. The easiest way to mend some of that hurt is by adjusting and adapting to your new friendship dynamics and remembering that even if you feel like your friends are slipping away because you don't see them often, they are still your friends. Friendship is irreplaceable, invaluable and inexplicably nourishing, which should give you sufficient hope that it can endure, too. 

Inspired to reach out to a friend you haven't spoken to recently? Send them one of these posts:
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Follow @girlslifemag on Instagram for more inspirational content! 

Top and slider image: @mel.amartinez and @itsashleykimchi

by Kayla Conroy | 8/23/2023