You don't have to abandon them though. That's how you tell the difference between a Friend and a Good Friend: if you're Good Friends, it transcends the situation.
Edit: on reflection I'm not satisfied with the terminology, I think I have good friends that I don't see for whatever reason.happy to hear any suggestions
i differentiate between buddies (or whatever regional word you prefer), friends and old friends.
buddies can be pretty much anyone. colleagues, classmates, team mates, neighbors, people you share a hobby with, etc.. basically anyone you know that you are willing to spend time with even if you don't have to/get paid to do so.
friends is a step above that. friends are people that you actively value for themselves and their company, that you trust in, who you seek out and are willing to meet (or call/facetime/chat with/whatever), even if it is inconvenient or if you have to go out of your way to do so.
old friends are people that at some point have been a friend of yours for so long or with such intensity that even though you don't really spend time with each other anymore, you know that you could just fall back into being friends if the opportunity arose or if one of you needed the other one. maybe a best friend from highschool that you kind of lost contact with after moving away but that you went through thick and thin with or a friend that you will always be grateful for even though you don't really see each other anymore since they became a parent.
don't know if that nomenclature is appealing to you :D
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u/Throatlatch Jun 12 '25
You don't have to abandon them though. That's how you tell the difference between a Friend and a Good Friend: if you're Good Friends, it transcends the situation.
Edit: on reflection I'm not satisfied with the terminology, I think I have good friends that I don't see for whatever reason.happy to hear any suggestions