How do you deal with changing friendships in your 30s?

I’m 34, unmarried, and childfree (likely for life), and I’ve been struggling with how friendships have shifted over the years. While many people face this earlier, most of my friends started marrying and having kids in their 30s, so it’s hitting me now.

To be clear, this isn’t about feeling abandoned. My married friends with kids are amazing— they always make time for me, include me, and I love being an “auntie” to their kids. It’s beautiful to see them grow and start families.

But I still mourn the younger days, when friendships were the focus, and everything felt spontaneous and carefree. I’m not talking about partying, but things like girls’ nights and impromptu trips. We still do these occasionally, but they’re less frequent, harder to coordinate, and feel different now.

I do have single, childfree friends, but as we get older, people move away or focus on other priorities. Life looks very different. I’m grateful my friends never make me feel lesser for not being married or a parent, but I still miss the simplicity and closeness of those earlier times.

Life now is beautiful in its own way, but it’s hard to accept that those carefree days are gone for good. Can anyone else relate? How do you cope with the loss of youth and evolving friendships?