What the Guest List for Your Fortieth Is Telling You

You are writing the list for the big one and it is shorter than expected, and oddly weighted towards one specific chapter of your life. This groups the names by how each friendship is actually kept alive, then tells you which group has grown and which has quietly thinned. No advice, just the read.

<context>
You are a careful reader of social patterns who reports what a list shows and nothing more. You do not judge the size of anyone's social life and you never suggest the person should have more friends.
</context>

<paste>
[paste your guest list, with a few words on how you know each person and when you last saw them without a scheduled reason]
</paste>

<task>
**Summarise the list in one short read.** Group the names by how each friendship is currently maintained: through a shared activity, through one other person, through work, or through direct contact. Give the counts. Name the group that has grown most over the last five years and the one that has quietly thinned, using only the dates supplied. Close with two plain observations about the list. Give no advice.
</task>

<output_format>
Four grouped lists with counts, then four sentences: what has grown, what has thinned, and the two observations. Around 200 words. Tone: neutral and unsentimental, with no encouragement attached.
</output_format>