Making friends through work

My dearest friends are those I met in the course of my working life. Maybe I was just lucky but I met lots of terrific people whose company I really enjoyed and still do.

Four of my closest friends I met at work. We have a lot in common and continue to be friends now we are mostly retired.

My best friends are people I worked with 50 years ago, we are all about the same age and are more like sisters. We have supported each other through some very difficult times.

Depends on the colleagues.

I very much dislike the compulsory social life that seems to go along with work in some places. If you don’t join in with the after-work drink etc then you’re always behind with what’s going on at work because stuff has been discussed and settled when you’re not there.

We are a circle of friends formed at work at the local hospital in the 1980's and we're still friends. We've even holidayed abroad together.
Including myself, there are 5 of us and before the pandemic, we used to meet up for lunches or at a teashop. We haven't seen each other for 2 years and can't wait to continue where we left off. Birthdays and Christmas's remain remembered.
It's a lovely friendship which I value enormously.

I don't find it sad. I seem to have acquired some work colleagues as friends. It's them who keep in touch not me. I am a bit odd as I don't really need friends. I meet up with these ex colleagues every now and again but, and this probably sounds awful, but it wouldn't bother me if I didn't again.

No, I only have a handful of close friends, but some of those are women with whom I worked for many years.