Ask Amy: Introverted person worried about friendships
Dear Amy: I have never had a ton of friends. As something of an introvert, I value quality over quantity.
I have never had a tight “group” of girlfriends – just individuals, with some overlap with people who know each other.
As we’ve gotten older, and especially during and since the pandemic, I don’t see or speak to my friends as frequently as I used to.
Some have gotten busier with work and hobbies, and some are still reluctant to resume pre-Covid activities.
All of my friends seem to have friends they are closer to than they are to me, so they don’t seem to “need” me as much as I need them.
I have tried meeting new people at activities I participate in, but it’s hard to get past the friendly acquaintance stage.
We are all in our 50’s, so I feel I should be past this. How do I make new, genuine, friends at this age and/or strengthen the friendships I have?
– J
Dear J: It would help if you could recognize that longstanding, deep and intimate friendships are a fairly rare treasure.
Even people you might believe are social butterflies likely have only one or two people they feel truly intimately connected to.
...continued
