Friends over 40??

[autieok]

Just wanting others experience of friendships. I've had two close friends most of my life and we alway went through everything together but the past ten years our lives have grown apart and now we 'catch up' every few months usually an hour at one persons house we message but don't really talk properly anymore. I've had other friends through work or children but they have moved on or we drifted apart. I'm 43 and other than those two old friends I have a couple of mums from school that I occasionally meet for a walk or coffee but it's quite superficial attempts to change that have not really happened. My oh has a group of friends we see a couple of times a year but he's not very social so he's quite happy with that. I've tried to arrange meets ups with these friends but most of time it doesn't happen (even pre covid) which leaves me feeling fed up. I miss having a close connection with female friends. Having a young child I don't really have the time or energy to meet new friends either. Aibu? Or is it normal for friendships to be less prevalent the older you get?

What helped tremendously was moving from a village into town when I turned 40. That, and getting a dog.
But I now have more friends than I’ve ever had. I can walk to their houses in 10 minutes and just have a quick glass of something, I can bake a cake and portion it and deliver it to 5 people and it’s still warm, if I don’t chat for too long 😂.
I met them through dog walking, running, work.

Late 40s. I made a group of new friends in the last few years volunteering at scouts.

I agree that volunteering is another good way to meet people. I’m involved with a local green space group ( we tidy up pathways, pick up litter, etc.) and have met some lovely people through that too.

Nope, if say the opposite. I've got the most friends now in my 40s. Love my 40s

This sounds familiar to me. Two very young children, moving to a new town right before covid and then of course covid. My friends are scattered across the country also with very young children. I assumed we meet people through our children but that's been tough with the pandemic. We've been very fortunate to have hit it off with two couples from our son's nursery. It's really tough going the last few years. And I would count myself and my partner as very good at making friends. My partner and I are both worried that we've let our old friendships slip but I reality, it's just covid plus young kids. I'm hoping this year will give us the opportunity to go visit some people. I think your situation sounds entirely normal and also fixable in time. Loneliness is horrible.

Two of my mum friends are now my best friends almost 20 years after meeting them. OP try some more coffee meet-ups with different mums as you may click with one. I see each of my friends individually every week or two and it’s really like enhancing.