Long time no see! You look AWESOME, what have you been doing? *sigh* The melodies of sweet conversation. Can’t we all agree that during this day and age it is so hard to find a genuine friendship? This is sad for society, but yet so true. In the world we live in nowadays, some people would rather watch a stranger suffer than be kind and offer a cordial smile. True friendship is something that we should all be thankful for and hold on to dearly. In this “Chex Mix” of a world, we need to focus our energy on “good things and positive people,” as my friend would say. To some, friendship may mean little, but to others it means the world. Here are seven signs you have a true friendship.

1. Age is just a number.

Coming from a guy who doesn’t know a stranger, age really is just a number. A friend of mine is 25 and yet I am 21. We get along perfectly and it may just be one of the most normal friendships I have. Mutual friends question how we know each other and I like to respond with “genuine connection”. Y’all, age doesn’t define you, your actions do. Live your life and the right people will come along.

2. They love your family.

“Mom, Megan is coming over”. Usually if she responded, I would be worried because in my house friends have always been welcome. If they keep coming back, you must be pretty okay to hang out with. However, you should realize that you aren’t the only one under the roof because I often caught my friends conversing with my siblings, father, and yes my mother, too. If a friend loves your family, love them back.

3. Unconditional support.

No, you aren’t the only person that has done something distasteful in life. After all, we are only human, and, yes, we do mess up. If a friend can look past your irrational behavior and still love you, then, yes, my friend you have a keeper. Regardless if it’s a bad chapter, a celebration or night out on the town; true friends stick through the good, the bad and the ugly.

4. Memories are endless.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the after class karaoke jam session you just had in the car, or walking down a holler after a party and sleeping in a PT cruiser, memories can be made virtually anywhere. When memories are made, those moments will forever play in your mind like they’re on a movie screen. You could be crying, laughing, prank calling, or even picking up the pieces after a horrible breakup, we will always remember the true friends that we endure these memories with.

5. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

From Kentucky to Spain, or even Prestonsburg to Richmond, true friendship never die because of distance. It doesn’t matter where you go, you can pick up the pieces where you left off. No awkward “hello” folks, a true friend will glance at you for five seconds, tell you that you aren’t matching, and then ask you what you want for dinner. They genuinely care about you of course, if they’re honest and wanting to feed you because, let’s face it, who has time to match when spending time with friends.

6. Your problems become their problems, too.

Life wouldn’t be fair if you didn’t have more than one army. First we have family, second we have friends. You bet if you’re messing with one of my friends, you’ve got to go through me first. Just went through a break up? No need to worry, Friend A will handle the culprit and Friend B will cheer you up. True friendship has no boundaries.

7. Personal Shrink.

They know all your problems, what your biggest pet peeve is, how many medical conditions you’ve self-diagnosed yourself with. You know, pretty much everything about you. True friendship comes with a free price tag in the life department, and yes I’m talking about the best advice ever. A true friend will give you some proactive advice and tell you the right thing to do. Some will tell you what not to wear, and FYI, orange and red do not go together well.

As our days pass, we should always remember who was there for us and the impact that person has made on our lives. Take each and every encounter we have with someone as an opportunity to expand your mind, your social skills, and your life. True friendship is one of the sweeter things in life, in which we get to do all three of those things with some of our favorite people. Have you told your friends how much they mean to you? Better yet, have you thanked them for being your friend?