Unfortunately, I don't have any great words of advice on this subject as I dealt with a similar issue and had bad results which seem to be beyond repair. So, I do know what you're going through. My former best friend (since childhood) and I started to grow apart about 4 1/2 or 5 years ago. During the late summer of 2010, I tried to make several phone calls to him, either leaving a message with his wife or on his voice mail, with no response. Finally, worked up the nerve to contact his wife on Facebook and left her a message. She responded that my friend was pissed because the last time we got together, I had to cut the visit short to take care of some urgent business. So, I responded by telling them to have a good life and told them I was done with it. My wife and I have not seen this couple since 2010. It's still painful, but I will not give them the satisfaction to know that detail at all. I know I have flaws, just like everybody else, including my former best friend, but I don't know what I did wrong and, furthermore, I don't understand why he didn't have the guts to tell me about the problem. My guess he was just looking for an excuse to end the friendship and that was the most convenient situation which came along. Anyway, moral of the story: just like in a potential romantic relationship, you can't force anyone to reciprocate good will, friendship or love. And I will never stoop to the level of begging somebody to be my friend. Hope things work out satisfactory for you, Shy Introvert, and your friend. Seems like as we get further into adulthood, the more difficult it can be to maintain friendships. Guess that's not surprising given how hectic life can be.