My husband highly values a few childhood friends, but from the outside the friendships seem pretty onesided.
When we first started dating, some of these friends were very vocal that if he didn’t spend as much time with them as before, they wouldn’t consider him a best friend anymore. It actually caused arguments between us because he felt pulled in different directions.
Fast forward a few years and now those same friends have partners of their own. They rarely reach out, barely respond to texts, and mostly seem to contact him when they need help or a job referral.
They also showed very little effort around major milestones. For example, some came empty-handed to our housewarming, and one didn’t even bring a card or congratulate us at our wedding. Meanwhile, my husband still talks about wanting to be generous when it’s their turn to get married or buy a house.
This isn’t really about gifts. I’m trying to understand why some men continue investing so much into friendships that don’t seem equally reciprocated.
Is it loyalty? Shared history? Nostalgia? Am I missing something?