For eighteen years, I have had a great, but long distance friendship with my friend Alexandra. Our parents were the starting points of the friendship after meeting at work while they were both expecting us. I was born in February, Alexandra in April, and from that point on, we were inseparable. For a good chunk of our friendship, Alexandra had lived a few towns over from me, but later on, her family decided to move a good hour or so away. Though it might take a little while to meet up, we were always thrilled to see each other after a long wait.
Every couple months to this day, even though we are both currently in college in different states, we find time to get together. We do not even need to go out and do something; we find fun in just sitting around in my room and filling each other in during what happened in the last months we haven’t seen each other. We sit around, laugh, and rush our conversations to make sure we do not leave anything out.
Our mothers always reminded us that it was a good thing to not always see each other everyday, because if we did, we might find little things to fight about, like most girls do, or maybe not even have the strong friendship that we share. We are always there to back each other up, be a helping hand, and talk about anything to even if we are not close enough to actually be there. I am very thankful to have a friend like her, someone I can tell anything to and someone that I can laugh with, especially if we’re feeling a little down about something.
We are very opened with each other from constantly talking about that one guy I liked through high school and those girls in her high school class who were always looking for drama. We find comfort in telling each other things because given the distance, we are not afraid of what we tell each other getting out to anyone.
To me, friendship means trust. It means someone who can make you feel better when you need a little pick-me- up conversation. Friendship is the comfort in knowing that even if a million people might not agree with you, your friend will. Being a good friend is important and could be challenging, but I try everyday to be the type of friend I would want.
Friendship is the secrets in the dark, the late night conversations when you’re sleeping over each other’s houses, the person who knows your secrets, and the only person who can tell you to get over something and actually make you listen. Friendship is the inside jokes that you two only know, a random word that can strike up an old memory, and many, many pictures.
Friendship is the tough love, the encouragement you sometimes desperately need, and the reason you are smiling.
Good friendships are rare and happy and important, and if you find one in your life, never let it go.
