Friendships Last a Lifetime...Or Do They

I grew up in a pretty big family, only had one brother and one sister, but I had about 50 cousins on my mom's side alone!  My mom didn't have a single friend from high school.  She never worked, was always a stay-at-home mom.  My mom and all my aunts and cousins were friends with each other.  We never had family gatherings where someone would bring one of their best friends from when they were little.  This led me to believe that as you get older friends fade away, you lose contact with them, you go in different directions.

But now that I am in my mid 30's I have began to rethink that notion.  With all of the never ending social media and technology, it's almost impossible to lose touch with someone.   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, even email, how could you stop being friends even if you moved across the world?!?

Not only social media, but nowadays there aren't as many stay at home moms as there used to be in the 80's and prior.  Most mom's/dad's have jobs and have co-workers they consider friends.

Don't get me wrong, friendships don't last all because of socail media.  Of course there's the inevitable argument or disagreement between two people that could end a friendship. 

But if you ever wanted to reconnect, it's as easy as picking up your cell phone and sending a quick email or message via social media.  

Are friendships meant to last a lifetime?  Are we supposed to grow old, begin new friendships, grow apart from the past?