Drifting Apart: The Pain of Losing a Childhood Friend

Losing a friend isn’t always about death—it can be about distance, misunderstandings, or just life pulling people in different directions. And honestly, that kind of loss can hurt just as much because it’s not something that happens all at once. It’s gradual, and sometimes, you don’t even realize it’s happening until you sit down and think, Wow, we don’t even talk anymore.

I’ve lost friends too, and one that really stands out was my childhood friend. We grew up together, did almost everything side by side, and had so many memories that it felt impossible to imagine a time when we wouldn’t be close. He was my neighbor back in our former house here in Nigeria, and we had the kind of friendship where I could just walk into his house without knocking. We played video games together for hours, kicked football around in their compound, and even got into trouble together a few times. Those were the good days.

But life, as it always does, had other plans. In 2023, he traveled to Canada. At first, we still kept in touch. We would chat once in a while, checking up on each other, but as time went on, the messages became less frequent. It wasn’t even intentional—it was just life. He got busy with his new reality over there, and I had my own things going on here. I understood that people grow apart, but what really hurt me was what happened next.

There was a time when i was in school and I was completely broke, and I just really needed help. I wasn’t the type to just ask anyone for money, bu i felt he could help me out. So, I swallowed my pride and messaged him. He responded and told me he would send me something. That alone gave me hope because, at that point, even a little would have made a difference. But then he just disappeared. No follow-up message, no explanation—just silence. I messaged him and he just aired me. I even waited, thinking maybe something came up, maybe he forgot, but days turned into weeks, and still nothing.

I didn’t want to feel entitled, but it wasn’t even about the money anymore. It was the fact that he promised, and I let myself believe that someone I once called a brother had my back. And then, after months of not hearing from him, he suddenly called me. I picked up, expecting maybe an apology, or at least an explanation. But instead, the conversation was just him going on and on about all the new things he had. He told me about how he had been buying new phones, how he had even gotten himself cars over there. And I just sat there, listening, trying not to let it get to me.

At that moment, I realized something—we weren’t the same friends we used to be. The bond we had as kids, the shared struggles, the memories—they didn’t matter anymore. He was in a different world now, and I wasn’t part of it. I didn’t even bother bringing up the money or what had happened. I just listened, responded when necessary, and after that call, I knew deep down that we were no longer friends.

It’s crazy how life changes things. One moment, you think someone will always be in your corner, and the next, they’re just a memory. We don’t even talk anymore, and that’s probably for the best. It’s sad, but I’ve come to accept that not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever. Some friendships are only for a season, and that’s okay. I still look back at our childhood with fondness, but I no longer hold onto the idea that we’ll ever be as close as we once were.

Sometimes, you just have to let go.

Posted Using INLEO