Renew Fading Friendships

A function of maturing and making your way through life is that you’ll occasionally leave behind someone you really care about.

It might be your best friend from high school, your old neighborhood buddy, a college dorm roommate, or even a past co-worker you connected with.

Over time, you may find yourself yearning for another conversation, a lunch out or evening spent with a long-lost friend.

But after so much time has passed, how can you renew fading friendships before they disappear completely?

Consider these suggestions to re-connect with a friend from your past:

1. Give your friend a call.

You might freeze up at the thought of calling because, after all, it has been so long. However, the only way of renewing your friendship is to make contact. Just do it.

• Tell her you’ve missed her. Mention you’ve been thinking about the fun you had shopping and playing tennis together and that you want to maintain your friendship.

Listen to how she feels about the relationship. Inquire about what’s going on in her life.

2. Persevere.

If you don’t have your friend’s telephone number, call his parents or drive by the last residence where he lived. Knock on the door and inquire of the residents if they know what happened to him.

Contact a mutual friend and ask where your old friend is living now or how you might get in contact.

3. Set up a rotating commitment.

Once you contact your friend and discover he wants to continue your friendship, suggest the two of you get together on an ongoing basis to keep your relationship going.

• For example, meet for dinner every other Wednesday evening. Get together one Saturday a month for lunch. A standing appointment keeps you both looking forward to spending time with one another.

4. Be willing to make the extra effort.

If your friend lives 90 minutes away by car, when you call, say you’d love to drive over and spend some time with him.

Show you’re willing to do what’s necessary to see your friend occasionally.

Hopefully, your friend will eventually be willing to drive over to see you as well.

5. Write a letter and send it by snail mail.

A hand-written letter shows you put some time and thought into what you wanted to say.

Plus, your friend will have a tangible representation of your attempt to contact him, which means he’ll notice your efforts to get in touch.

• This method is particularly helpful when you don’t have the person’s telephone or cell numbers.

• Send a letter every other month for 6 months or so and include all your contact information, such as your cell phone number, home phone number, e-mail address, and home address. Doing so will make it easier for your friend to contact you using whatever method he prefers.

6. Once you’ve established initial contact, use technology to stay connected.

Find out from your friend if he uses e-mail and texting. If so, send him an e-mail every few days.

If your friend prefers a quick text, use texting to stay in touch.

7. Consider Facebook.

After you’ve made your initial contact, find out if your friend is on Facebook. If so, “friend” him and use Facebook to keep in touch.

It’s a great feeling to discover an old friend wants to renew your relationship.

Go ahead and be the one who takes the first steps to rekindle an old friendship. Use these methods to re-connect with that wonderful friend from your past.

9 Ways to Strengthen Your Friendships

Unfortunately, friendships seem to come and go. People and situations change, which can be a challenge to the health of a friendship.

Friendships can be fragile and require time and energy to be at their best.

Making friendships a priority can help to overcome these challenges.

While it’s not entirely under our control, there are many things you can do to strengthen and preserve friendships.

Try these ideas to make your friendships stronger than ever:

1. Stay in touch.

Reach out to your friends regularly. They’ll be much more likely to stay your friends over the long term.

2. Think about what your friend needs right now.

Everyone has a challenge or two they’re facing. How can you help? Let them know you’re available and concerned.

This is a big part of being a good friend.

3. Avoid judging.

You won’t approve of anyone 100% of the time, not even yourself. Your friend will make choices you don’t agree with, and that’s okay.

They don’t approve of everything you do, either. Give your advice when asked and be supportive.

4. Give an occasional compliment.

We could all use a little confidence booster now and then. Be the one to give it.

Your friends will appreciate it, and you might even get a few more compliments in return.

5. Spend time together.

Absence weakens relationships. Friendships need time and attention to thrive.

When do you have time this week to spend time with the friends that mean the most to you?

6. Find common interests you can share.

Sitting and talking is great, but there are a lot of other things you can share. Be active with your friends.

Eat meals, watch movies, work out, or go shopping together.

7. Take on a challenge together.

You become closer to those you suffer with. This is one of the reasons military buddies tend to have such strong relationships.

But you don’t have to go to war to face adversity side-by-side. Climb a mountain or take a class together. The options are unlimited.

8. Road trip.

Road trips are often part misery and part adventure. Climb in the car and take a trip to a new place together.

You’ll create plenty of memories and have all the time in the world to chat and share.

9. Try new things together.

New restaurants, sports, or other activities can be a great way to strengthen your friendships.

What are some things you’ve always wanted to try that a friend might like? Skydiving? Spelunking? Painting? Archery? Go for it together!

It’s also important to stop doing the things that weaken your friendships. None of us are perfect friends.

Ask yourself what you can do to be a better friend. Could you be more patient? More available? Less self-centered?

Take a look at yourself and try out some positive changes.

How many friends have you lost track of over the years? How many of your friendships are weaker than they used to be?

Unless you’ve intentionally tried to strengthen your friendships, they’re not as strong as they could be.

Make your friendships a priority and do what you can to preserve and strengthen them. You’ll be glad you did!

Did you find this post fun, informative and useful? If so, please share it with others!

If you have a comment, question or suggestion, please leave a comment below!

Cheers, Helene Malmsio


Related Reading: How To Build Friendships And Maintain Them

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