I've still got the same friends from when I was a teenager. I'm 53 now

[sawnotseen]

I met most of my friends when I was a teenager, clubbing in London.
We are all still friends so almost 40 yrs later. A couple were my bridesmaids and ushers.
We've grown up together and have managed to still stay close despite my divorce (all friends are still friends with my ex and me).
Is this the norm?

My adult kids have been brought up with theirs and they're close friends.
We speak often and meet up at least once a month.
My daughter treats my best friends house as her second home as the girls are best friends.

Surely this just means you are very lucky? I don't really understand your post?

Sounds bloomin good to me. Are you complaining or do you want praise?!

Good for you. Surely that's a positive thing?

I don't know if it's the 'norm' or not (does it matter?) - I think everyone has their own experience of friendship. I'm also 53 & still have a handful of good friends I met pre-20, although most of my friendships are through work. It sounds as if these relationships mean a lot to you, and are to be treasured.

I think that's lovely but probably not the norm as people move around so much.

I have no friends from primary as I moved to an out of the area school but I've friends from year 7 so age 11 and we're 42 now. We meet up at least once a year for a girls weekend but also big events and when we can. We love across the Midlands and South. Our friendship is much more about US than our families. I have a similar set up from Uni so ages 18 so 22 years

Answer to your question: No, it’s not a norm. People are moving a lot. Life is much more variable now and two people who had the same start may end up in very different places financially, politically, morally etc
It’s great that you’ve still got your friends. It’s not unusual but not a norm.

I don't think it's unusual.
I have best friends from junior school.. we are all just about pensioners now ( 65/66).
We meet for lunch.. visit each others house .. either in a group or single.
Some are married .. some single.. some divorced.. some widowed.. both female and make.

Agree with IWant still good friends with people I met at primary school, now in our late 60s, we don't all live near each other any longer but still have a very close friendship. Plus new friends of course.

My mother is still friends with someone she was evacuated with in WW2 ... both in their 90s.

I don't see it as unusual. In fact, my closest friends are friends from school, some I met as young as aged 5 and am now 49.

My best friend I've known 47 years, another 2 I've known 40 years but some friends are more recent
Everyone has different types of friendships so your question doesn't really make sense.

I’m 56 and am part of a group of women who met when we were 14 and in the same class at school. We go on holiday together every year, been to each others weddings, have conversations in a WhatsApp group chat a few times a week, go to the occasional gig or event, meet up in smaller groups/pairs depending on who’s doing what, etc. We’re scattered all over the UK and have very different lives but being part of that ‘team’ is a fundamental part of who I am. Those women know me and I know them.

I think if you stay in the same place all your life then this happens but if you move away it's very unlikely. Just make sure that you're able to let other people in. There may have been potential friends who have slipped through the net, who felt they couldn't assimilate into such a longstanding group.

Congratulations. I am still friend with three of the women I meet as kid on reception. (4 years) going to the same class during all the school up to highschool when we start to pick different choices make us very close. We don't see each other frequently because we live in different countries but we see each other at least three times a year one way or another.

I was chatting to my friend this morning so it just come into my mind.
We've all moved over the years, I went to Aus for a year, India for six months and Canada for six months. My friends also lived abroad when we were young but we are all back in London / suburbs now.
Just thinking that I'm lucky.

And?

Old friendships are special 🙂. I’m mid-forties, moved abroad aged 19 and stayed living abroad but managed to maintain amazing close friendships from both junior and high school. Still very tight with 8 friends. We speak/text frequently (almost daily with a couple) and see each other when we can.

You're very lucky.
It sounds wonderful.

Yes, you’re lucky. I’m similarly lucky and also have close friends from my teenage years (as well as more recent periods). I’m 54. It makes me wonder whether it’s in part a result of growing up in the 1970s and 80s when there were fewer forms of entertainment and distraction available so we spent more of our time just hanging out with our friends.

I think that sounds so lovely! For your kids, as well as you. Love it, OP! 🎉

I’m 47 and still have my old school mates as close friends. Lots of new friends now too

I have friends from when i was 19 and the dc have grown up together. Its really beneficial for DC i think as they always have a friend that they are connected to, even if they don't talk for a while

I have three friends I met at 12 and 14 and we are all 52 now. One I've never lost touch with and the with the other two, one had been lost of a bit and the other in and out and definitely back now.

History is fabulous but with one of the above friends it has all changed as they were very unkind and unnecessary and while I am trying, things will never be the same as I feel right now.

Some really snippy replies on here. This is a conversation forum...people post for a chat, not always for praise, validation, advice.

I'm in my forties and my friends are still my friends from school. I only have a couple of friends who I have made as an adult.

Not sure what this post is for either. It doesn’t say anything or ask anything or analyse anything. Is it bragging. Who knows.

I think this is more common with people 40+. I would say going away for a gap year or two isn't really like a proper relocation/immigrating and living around London, big as it is still not the same as friends moving to Scotland when you're down in Brighton.
So there is an element of luck that you all stayed relatively close, in an area with good transport links generally.

I imagine that you've had to sweep a lot under the rug and forgive and forget missed birthday wishes, drunken arguments, hitting on each other's exes... 😂

Usually one or more of you had to put up with things that others would not, the BS tolerance is higher in your generation than more 'woke' younger people ... that's how long friendships and marriages, careers last for so long.. you let go and forgive a lot of things.. so keep on doing what you're doing, I guess!