When I say “best friend,” someone popped into your head.  In college we are usually separated from that person, or you may have found your best friend in college.  You guys met, instantly clicked, and now are inseparable?  Best Friends.  If you think about it, your best friends are the ones who are there for everything.  They go through the rollercoaster of emotions with you on a daily basis.  They are the ones you grow up with and the ones you always count on.  Creating and maintaining these relationships may not always be easy, but it is always worth it.  

A best friend is someone who will love you even when you’re moody and not very loveable, try and make your day better, and you probably do feel better after talking to them.  They will give you the honest opinion, even if it sucks, and stand by your side with whatever.  

My two best friends from

high school are my soul mates.  They are there for me no matter what and I would do anything for them.  It totally sucks that we don’t go to the same college, but lets face it, we would get absolutely nothing done.  When we come home for breaks, it is like nothing has changed, and we are already updated on everything because we get the daily “OMG, so today…” texts.  

There are many signs to know that you are best friends.  You probably don’t even think about it, but when you see it or read it, you know exactly what I am talking about.  Here is the best friend checklist:

1.    Honesty. You can give an honest opinion without thinking about hurting their feelings because you’re just “trying to help a sista out.”

2.     “The look.”  You both can look at each other and know exactly what the other is thinking.

3.     Being boring.  You both could sit on the couch for hours and watch TV and be perfectly content.

4.    Do you speak?  You could not say anything for long periods of time and not think anything of it, or be considered awkward.

5.     Since you’ve been gone.You can go long periods of time without seeing each other, and when you do, it’s like nothing changed.

6.     They know your stages.  Your indie stage, tomboy stage, when you were in love with (insert name) stage. 

7.     The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Yes, they know it all, and yet still love you for all of it and through all of it.  There are going to be ups and downs in life, and your best friend is the one to help you through it. 

8.     Mommy #2.  You get texts from their moms and no it is not weird.  You probably have their whole family’s phone numbers as well.

9.     Who needs a filter?  You can openly say whatever you want, and know it’s not leaving the room.  You both probably think that if someone else were in the room, they would think of you as terrible people.

10. There’s no end.  You will never stop being friends because they know too much. 

We all need a best friend and people to count on when we are down.  We all need that person that can tell us the truth even when it hurts, or lift you up when you need it.  But we also need to be that person. 

When you look at the big picture, guys aren’t worth the risk of a friendship, petty fights, who said what, it doesn’t matter.  In the end, friendships are what help us through the craziness of life.  We need to respect that, step up, and be good friends.  Most of all, we need to respect each other as people.  Acknowledge the other point of view, try and learn from each other, learn from other people’s mistakes, and not judge them.  We are all learning and growing up, and the process may be different for some people.  As we get older it does get harder to find the people that are going to be there for you through thick and thin. 

            “As we grow up, we realize it becomes less important to have more friends, and more important to have real ones.  Remember life is kind of like a party.  You invite a lot of people, some leave early, some stay all night, some laugh with you, some laugh at you, and some show up really late.  But in the end, after the fun, there are a few who stay to help you clean up the mess.  And most of the time, they aren’t even the ones who made the mess.  These people are your real friends in life.  They are the ones who matter most.”

            Best friends don’t come around all of the time.  When you find them, you are lucky. They are the ones who allow you to be yourself, accept, and love you for it.  Have appreciation for your best friend today and remember how much they have done for you!