It’s definitely not just you @gratia. I have experienced this loss of friends syndrome. I actually have found it to be a major shift. I stopped working in 2024 to care for my husband, retiring at 60 instead of the federally suggested 67 1/2. A few of the work friends that I had occasionally reach out via text end even less occasionally we will meet for lunch when I can leave my husband for a couple of hours. Couples we were once friends with, and even some of our family have all but disappeared. I tend to believe that they don’t know what to say or how to interact in this new unknown dementia situation. In contrast, I have a few family members and friends who are also now retired, that have renewed and deepened old relationships. So while I have much less “quantity” of friends, the few that I do have are much deeper, and that has definitely helped me. Perhaps some of this is what would have occurred when I retired anyway, but I don’t know. I think what I miss the most is the opportunity to socialize as a couple with other couples. It just is too awkward to even have a couple over for dinner when one of the four can’t engage in meaningful conversations, play a card game or interact the way they used to. It’s sad, but that part of our life is over now.
We go to community events when we can, where we have opportunities to connect with our neighbors and make new acquaintances in town. Because we live in a very small town in a remote area, we know a lot of the people and they are always kind and offer support which I appreciate. Luckily for me, my daughter (best friend) and her 4 children live in the same town and we are very close. She’s a good friend to me and so I feel very fortunate and blessed to have her in my life.
Blessings to you as your relationships evolve.