Is friendship for a lifetime?

Twenty children cannot play for twenty years. That is an adage in my language. I really wish that I can answer the question of whether friendship should last forever affirmatively. Thinking about some old friends brings a lot of refreshing and great memories to mind. When I consider some childhood friends, I really wish we could get together and be friends again. The real fact is that some friendships are not meant to last forever. A friend of mine once told me that friendship can expire. I totally agree with him, because the relationship with some of my friends has actually expired. It is also sad to say that my friendship with that my friend has also expired.
If we hold tenaciously unto a relationship that has expired, we will just be wasting time, emotional energy, and money. Some other worthwhile relationships may even be hampered. I also need to emphasize that the kind of relationship that is referred to as friendship must be clearly defined otherwise we will be referring to colleagues, business associates, neighbours, school mates, acquaintances as friends. However, any of the aforementioned can eventually become a good friend. A good friend is the one that one opens his heart to us without reservation. A friend is the one that though he complains about your shortcomings, he goes all out to make sure that you are comfortable.
I came up with a short list of issues that may make some friendship to expire:

#1. Distance – I know for sure that a lot of people will surely disagree with me on this, owing to the advancement in information technology. I lost hope that I will never meet some of my friends again because we live thousands of miles apart and they have moved from one place to another with no forwarding addresses, but that is history now, thanks to Facebook and other social media. However, some friendship has declined in affection and quality because of distance. Out of sight is actually out of mind most times. The level of busyness that we experience these days makes it difficult to always refer to someone far away if there is someone nearby that can fill that position suitably.

#2. Belief System – As we grow in life, we embrace new belief system or paradigm. In my own opinion it absolutely difficult to be an intimate friend with someone of another faith. There is no way friends of differing belief systems will be sincere with themselves and not experience unnecessary fireworks. When belief systems of friends changes, their relationship will become obsolete.

#3. Interest/Aspiration – Friends are meant to have shared interests and aspirations. They may not like the same thing but should be relatively close. As we grow in life, interest changes and if our friends’ interest does not change, we may be heading towards divergence in our relationship. When value systems take a turn, we will definitely deviate on our course.

#4. Exposure – In as much as tolerance is a virtue needed for friendship to last, but when friends are poles apart as regards their exposure to life, room will be created for inferiority/superiority complex.

I really wish friendship could last forever but we must face the fact that life is phases and men are in sizes.