How To Save a Friendship

Friendship falls apart for many reasons—a huge fight, distance, loss of interest, and some other personal reasons. But if both parties are interested to be friends still, there is no reason why the friendship shouldn’t be saved. Who knows, this friendship might grow a lot deeper than before.

If you want to breathe life on a dying friendship, here are some tips.

• Find ways to communicate. Whether you are miles apart or living in the same building, make sure to have an open line of communication. These days, almost all modes of communication are widely available. Landline. Cell phone. Email. Chat. VoIP. Snail mail. In fact, the means of communication is not an issue at all; the time to communicate is. So if you are serious about bridging the gap, make time and use all possible ways to keep in touch.
• Forgive the offense. If an offense broke the friendship apart, it is time to forgive, forget, and move forward. If you were the offended party, openly tell your friend that she has already been forgiven. Of course, do this only if you really have forgiven the person. If you are telling this just for the sake of patching up, you are only insulating the hurt feeling. Before you offer forgiveness, make sure you have chosen to completely forgive the person and forget the hurt that comes with remembering the offense.
• Apologize. If you are the offending party, let go of your pride and ask for forgiveness. Remember that reconciliation starts with a word of apology. Make sure to apologize in person, but if that it is not possible, like when you are living in a different country or state, you can do it by some other means.
• Show your concern. Even if you are not as close as you once had been, show your friend that you still care for her. You can show your concern in different ways. If one of her family members is sick, you can send her a short thoughtful note. Send her a gift on her birthday. Congratulate her for her success in work. And wish her well if she is starting a new project.
• Allow her to be her own person. People grow, and sometimes the friend you know very well will grow into a different person. The things you both enjoy will become distasteful to her. The things you care about will become trivial to her. But don’t take it against her. Instead, allow her to grow and accept her individuality.
• Go out once in a while. In any relationship, it is very important to have a personal interaction. This is why you need to go out with your friend at least once a month. If you are living far apart, make an effort to visit her in her place or invite her to your place. Take this as your time to rediscover each other, have some good laughs, dine together, and talk about anything that comes to mind.

Make it a commitment to keep the friendship going. That even if your friendship is being rocked and challenged, you remain stable as friends.

source
http://www.howtodothings.com/how-to-save-a-friendship