It seems that as we grow older, our true friends can be counted on one or maybe two hands. Many times we encounter situations where the status of a relationship goes downhill. It hurts to see someone that was such an important part of your life eventually fade away.
You may feel like the friendship were an obligation because you have been friends for so long. You have to accept that the bond just isn't the same anymore. While it takes time to process that you may not be always be friends with someone whom you thought was your other half, it is okay. Outgrowing people is natural and it will happen at some point in your life.
A lot of the time, it's not that you or the other person did some unforgivable action. It's simply that we change. We are not the same people we were years ago. It is possible for us to no longer like who the other person has become. We mature at different times, we go in different directions, our personalities grow wild and our perspective on everything changes.
When you feel yourself drifting from someone that was once such an integral part of your life, you notice how different things are from how they used to be. The laughs aren't the same, conversations are dull, you barely spend time with them or don't even care to. You find yourself resenting them or becoming highly irritated in their presence, and neither of you prioritize your friendship.
Too many friendships are built around convenience. If there is no effort, even from your part, the relationship will go nowhere. You must develop a mutually beneficial relationship, or it will be either one sided or with no cares at all.
You may outgrow a friendship because you find better and stronger friendships in other people. You will find people that push you, inspire you and support you to the fullest. You do not have time for those that don't.
You will outgrow people. It is almost inevitable. It is not that you are better than the other person, but that you have chosen to keep those in your life that lift you up and make you a better person. You must accept it and move on.
Do not let nostalgia keep you attached to a friendship for the wrong reasons. Admire the memories for what they are and allow yourself to grow apart from a friendship that no longer benefits you.