Origins
From astronomy, where aphelion names the point in an orbit when one body is farthest from the object it once revolved around. The term is used here to describe relational distance created by motion rather than rupture.
Meaning
In recovery, some friendships drift out of daily life without argument, betrayal, or clear decision. The distance grows slowly, shaped by changed habits, values, and rhythms of living, until the closeness that once felt natural can no longer be sustained. There is rarely a single moment of loss – only the quiet realization that the shared center is gone. We still care, we still remember, but we now move through different days, held in different orbits. Aphelion is the sorrow of distance without blame, carrying both relief and grief as relationships change without needing to end badly.
Usage
We didn’t fall out – we just reached Aphelion, and the closeness couldn’t hold anymore.