"Il est curieux qu'à mon âge on commence à redouter la perte de relations. Comme un arbre, qui doit, dit-on, être épargné de toute nouvelle coupe à ses racines, on sent qu'on ne peut plus supporter de perdre encore des amis."

Simplified Meaning:

As people get older, they start to feel more scared about losing their friends. It's similar to how a tree needs its roots to stay healthy and can't handle having more roots cut away. Just like the tree, older people find it hard to cope with the loss of their friends because each friend feels like a vital part of their life. When a friend is no longer there, it feels like losing a piece of themselves, which becomes more difficult to handle as the years go by. For example, think about an elderly person who has lived in the same neighborhood for decades. They have formed deep bonds with their neighbors, and losing these connections is incredibly painful and unsettling. To apply this to life, it's important to cherish and maintain strong relationships with friends and loved ones, especially as we grow older. Keeping these connections can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging that becomes increasingly valuable with age.