&gt;*
It&#x27;s not just me of course, even my very friendly wife notices dwindling friendships despite putting a lot of energy into keeping them going. We often ask each other &quot;why is that?&quot;, but so far neither of us has a clue. The circle diminishes gradually, incrementally, the loss is one by one. Friends known for decades die, develop dementia, or move two thousand miles away to be near family.*<p>Well, turns out you do have a very pragmatic clue!