https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/08/13/22/23/friends-3604155_960_720.jpg
[source](https://pixabay.com/photos/friends-girls-distant-3604155/)

You'd think that in this day and age that we have a plethora of means to communicate with our loved ones, it will lead to stronger bonds and friendships but in reality, nothing has changed and I dare say that these days, we're even more distant than ever.



I'm no expert in the topic because more often than not, I fall foul to the very fault that I'm talking about and yes, most often than not, it is because "I'm too busy" or maybe, I simply don't like you like that, but that's a story for another day.

In this scenario, I'm talking about friends that I genuinely like and would actually want to spend time with but can't because of distance.  Distance has proven to be a big barrier for me and I don't know how this will sound but there are certain friends that I don't particularly enjoy phone conversations with but absolutely love being around.

There's also always so much shit going on and everyone is busy with their daily lives, trying to make ends meet and chasing different causes. Lots of people start their day early and hardly have time to even slow down or take a break. I always fall back to this excuse.

https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/01/08/22/38/business-3070472_960_720.jpg
[source](https://pixabay.com/photos/business-internet-browser-inbox-3070472/)


The longer I spend away from my friends, the bigger the space between us grows and if either party doesn't make a conscious decision to save the friendship,  we just grow into strangers.

I find that there's an underlying laxness about the way friendships deteriorate. The common theme in my friendships is complacency, particularly from my end. I think the problem is that I get too comfortable, assume that the person will be there irrespective and in some instances that I get called out about it, I shrug it off with "stop tripping bro, we're good". 

David Tyson said that *True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable* and while this may be true in its own right, retaining friendships is hard work that requires taking deliberate actions to retain and blossom.