Throughout all stages of life, friends can either make you or break you. It is hard to tell who will do which, but when relationships are tested, you learn who will stay and who will leave. So, we are going to break down the different types of friends you probably have encountered at some point, "Mean Girls" style:
1. First, you have your best friend(s).
Your best friends are the ones who would never leave you, no matter what happens. Sure, you may get into disagreements, but you know at the end of the day, they love you for who you are. When you are in arguments with other people, they always see your side of the story and agree with you. Your inside jokes have infiltrated normal dialogue, and innocent eavesdroppers would not even know how to make sense of the conversations.
2. Then you have your basic friends.
Sure, you may be excited when you have a class with these people. You may also be friends with them on Facebook or are following them on Snapchat. But, you don't go out of your way to become super close with them. They are not the ones you call at 2 a.m. for advice or to go shopping, but you are friendly enough to text every once in awhile to check in on them.
3. Then, over there, you have your fair-weather friends.
These are the people that become super close to you, but only when they need something, the users. Be careful with these type because they may come disguised as the aforementioned "best friend," but once you no longer have what they may need, they will leave in search of the next person who can offer something else. Don't get too attached to this kind because while they are used to moving on, you may not be.
4. Next, you have your lifelong friends.
These are the people you have practically grown up with and can never see yourself being without these people. A lot of times, they surpass the bond found between best friends and are considered family. They are the ones who live close enough to be at all of your events when your actual family may not be able to make it. They are the ones who can step in and offer reliability when everything else is falling apart. They are your rocks, and when people closest to you are thriving on rumors and fallacies, you can trust this type of friend to deliver unwavering support and not feed into the negativity.
5. Finally, you have your ex-friends.
Warning: any of the types of friends above can fall into this category: the ex friend. Whether it is by choice, distance, disagreement or time, it is never easy to lose any kind of friend. You basically lose a lifeline and someone you thought you would have forever, but everything happens for a reason. So thank those that you had the time to get to know, thank them for the lessons taught and the fun times had. If the circumstances allow, let them know that they will always be on your mind, even if they are not, or cannot, be in your life.
