Are you COMPLETELY different from your siblings or old friends? Here’s how you can stay close
Some of our best memories are from when we’re young, free, and close to those around us. Whether they’re school friends, childhood neighbors, siblings, etc., these relationships were the best!… but they might not be as strong anymore, and that’s natural. Growing apart from people is part of growing up sometimes, but that also doesn’t mean you can’t have a blast whenever your familiar face is around. I feel like I am such a different person than I was when I was growing up. Of course, parts of me are the exact same, but I’m not the same girl my childhood friends have their favorite memories of… and they’re not the same as they were in my memory. Sometimes this can seem like such a bummer that you just let the relationship fall away. Maybe you feel like you’re losing a friend or, well, the memory of a friend. But that version of your BFF can’t linger forever. We grow up, we get new and different interests, we go off into the world… then sometimes we come back, and seeing how much has changed can honestly be just as fun as rekindling old experiences. So, here are some ways you can still stay close and have fun with siblings or friends who you’ve grown apart from over the years.
Games
Competition is always a great way to get things way less awkward and way more fun! So, if you’re rekindling an old friendship or relationship, why not jump right in with a game? Don’t hold back and give it your all, you’ll find that you and your old friend or sibling will likely naturally fall back into that rhythm with one another… because who would want to lose, right? Anyway, board games, video games, field games, yard games, drinking games, smoking games, and even games over text are a great way to have fun with and stay close to your old friends without necessarily acknowledging how different things have become with time. You’re just focused on having fun and making new memories together, which is pretty sweet, right?
Keep an Inside Joke Alive
OK, sometimes inside jokes get a bad wrap because they tend to exclude those who weren’t “inside” at the time, but I think keeping this kind of humor going between friends is great! Not only does it keep things that made you close alive, it’s also something you can always fall back on to reinstate how long you both have been there for each other. Even if life gets crazy and pulls you two apart, an inside joke can often succeed in bringing people together and remembering what it’s like to be close, even if you’re both pretty different now.
Do Something Out of Everyone’s Comfort Zone
So your friend likes doing one thing now and you can’t stand that… But they also can’t stand what you like to do? Well, why not do something no one wants to do. Yeah, this may sound miserable, but hear me out! Getting out of comfort zones with people automatically make you feel closer to them. If you’re trying to keep an old relationship close despite your differences, maybe this person is your go-to for new and daring challenges. Maybe they’ll be your adventure buddy, doing things neither of you would really dream of doing alone… together! Go skydiving! Swim in the ocean! Hang at the skate park! Get your nails done, whatever it is that neither of you would really do, why not try it out. If not to see if you like it then for shits and gigs at least. You’ll undoubtedly walk out of this with more memories, so success!
Disconnect Together
The world can be pretty distracting, and if you’re wanting to stay close with an old friend you’re different from, it can sometimes be helpful to take all those distractions out of the mix. Not only does this let you give your full attention to one another, but it helps you relax, and gets you in the right headspace to open up to someone completely different from you, remembering why you’re with them in the first place. Whether it’s a weekend of camping, a trip on the river, a day spent hiking, or whatever, you and your old friend or sibling could probably both use some fresh air and natural conversation cues.
Support from Afar
Just because you’re not like this friend or sibling anymore doesn’t mean you can’t be a big supporter of theirs. So what if they’re different and not doing things you’re interested in? Showing up for them doesn’t always have to be in person. You can comment on their social media posts, FaceTime them every once in a while, send letters, tell them you’re proud of them, and simply show interest when they share about their life. This little bit can be done from wherever and can go a long way in keeping the two of you close! Be their cheerleader!
Let us know how you stay close with those you’re different from now! Leave a comment letting us know how different you and your childhood bestie or sibling are today!