Remember the days of bonfires and secret admirers? How about hanging out at the "cool" spots in town? Or piling into someone's car to cruise around town? Ah, those were the days, weren't they?

Unfortunately for us, those days never last. As a matter of fact, I can recall my parents telling me how quickly our childhood passes. Boy, they weren't kidding!

Times change for everyone; though some refuse to accept the truth. Perhaps, that's why adulthood is so different. We all have an inner child, but many of us are too busy with our own lives to notice. Maybe we have a job that requires long hours and mandatory deadlines. Maybe we have a responsibility to our children. Whatever the reason, it's easy to understand how little time we have for ourselves and our friends.

Think about how many friends we lost contact with after high school, then we made new friends in college, and finally we lost contact with them when we entered our new careers and families. Everyone runs into someone from their past eventually; it's just difficult to re-establish that childhood connection.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, since most of our bad habits developed shortly after high school. We can't always be party animals, but some people refuse to grow up. Many of us can't afford to regress, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't let our hair down once in a while.

If you are trying to re-establish your old friendships, you have to make time with one another. No situation is ever going to be the same, but maybe you do share some similarities with some of your other friends. So, if you and your friend both have families, then you may want to consider cookouts or picnics together. This is a fantastic way to enjoy each other's company, while also letting your children get to know one another.

Another great idea is to get someone to watch your children for a night. This way you can get together and have a couple drinks while reflecting about the good times and the bad.

Of course, the simplest answer is to contact your friends once in a while by phone or internet. You can always schedule time to meet at a later date.

Finally, some friends will never grow up. You may never have the same sort of friendship you had before. Oh well, there are plenty of other people with which you can grow a friendship. So don't let it bother you to let go of an immature friend.