I had a close friendship with a co-worker. We were the two work newbies and lunched together and shared stories. He has become part of close circles within management and I feel left behind. Why do I feel such loss?

DEAR DISCARDED: It takes a level of trust to share intimate details of our lives with someone. If that person takes a step back and heads in a different direction, of course it is hurtful. You looked to your co-worker for emotional support and now it is gone. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t mourn the loss.

DEAR DISCARDED: It takes a level of trust to share intimate details of our lives with someone. If that person takes a step back and heads in a different direction, of course it is hurtful. You looked to your co-worker for emotional support and now it is gone. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t mourn the loss.

I had a close friendship with a co-worker. We used to have lunch together and shared many personal and intimate stories. We were the two work newbies, even though I started six months before he did. He has adapted well in the work environment,