Making / maintaining friendships

[rose]

I had loads of friends at school. I had an awesome best friend throughout secondary school and other very close friends too. I was in a big group of friends, and a smaller group of friends. Sometimes I sat with totally different groups at lunch. I must have the whole school year on my facebook....

But then what happened? Go forward 20 years and I don't really have anyone. I think I pushed everyone away. I lost touch with my big group of friends and fell out with my smaller group of friends. Me and my best friend just stopped talking... maybe we outgrew each other. I stopped answering texts or going to things I was invited to, I don't know why. I was always too tired. I found it hard to make new friends, people who I thought were friends from my old workplace I see on facebook, they all go to each other's hen nights and weddings and stuff... was I just missed off the email or something? I don't know.

I've become isolated. And what with 2016 being the year of doing new stuff I took a massive leap and I reached out to some old friends who messaged me for my birthday on Facebook. One has come back saying let's meet in March which is awesome, and she is in touch with two other people who will come along too, they are all from the big group of friends I had at school. I have pushed OH to stay in touch with his friends and make plans that I can be involved in so I can get to know his friends and their partners. Its actually a real challenge trying to make friends at this age but I think what's important to realise is that you are not the only person who is isolated. It's easy to think everyone else has loads of friends and is totally sorted, but that's just not true.

So, I am trying to make new friends.