Depends where you are in life. For me as a single guy in his early 30s, friendships are absolutely at the top of the hierarchy for me.
> Friendships are unique relationships because unlike family relationships, we choose to enter into them.
And this is WHY friends are above family for me. Admittedly, if I had my own family (as in wife and kids), they'd be my top priority in life for sure.
However, unfortunately I do notice that it's getting harder to meet up with friends as their obligations in life increase. One of my best friends has started university again while still working part-time, and so even though he lives in walking distance, we don't see each other very often because he's extremely short on time. Two other of my closest friends live in a different country, but somehow we're managing to meet up 3-4 times a year for at least a week each. That might change though when you'll eventually have kids.
To be honest, I won't read the whole article, but I just wanted to say that it can be different. At least I really hope that my friends will be a high priority for me even if my or their life situations inevitably change.