Don’t get me wrong--I love seeing my friends happy. I’m not trying to dilute their joy with my sob story. Please don’t start looking at your single friends with sad puppy eyes after this. My purpose is not to make people in relationships feel bad, I’m just trying to bring clarity to the situation. Let’s call it a third wheelers perspective.
If you are in a relationship, let me start off by saying congratulations. You have found your “perfect match." You can now fully appreciate the Chili's two-for-20-dollar deal. You can sing duets without trying to switch from soprano to bass every other verse. Your family isn’t bugging you about dating anymore. Everything is rainbows, sunshine, and unicorns for you, and that’s awesome.
If you are single, let me start off by saying I know how you feel. I’ve been the single friend for all of my 21 years, so I know being the single friend comes with many struggles and responsibilities. You’ll spend countless nights on the couch binge watching "One Tree Hill" as all your friends and roommates go off with their significant others. As cringe-worthy as it is, you are the go-to couple photographer for the happy couples. You have to start searching for another single friend to bring to events at least a week in advance because we are an endangered species. You are an outlet for your friends to share their relationship problems with. Oh, you can’t decide what to get your boyfriend for your two year anniversary? Life is so hard. Just a quick side note: one thing that’s always puzzled me is why my friends constantly come to me for relationship advice. Newsflash: I can't give you any sort of reliable advice because I have never been in a relationship!
Yeah, being single can suck sometimes, but do not start feeling insecure, down on yourself or worried that you are unworthy. You may start wondering what is so wrong with you that no one sees you as dateable, but that’s not it.
Let me get a little sappy for a moment.
God’s timing is perfect and He is saving the perfect person for you. Just think, your perfect guy is probably spending his time playing Call of Duty in his boxers with his fingers covered in Cheetos dust unaware of your existence. Your perfect guy needs time to mature and become the man you need. Don’t rush the process and do not settle for less in the meantime.
Even though your friends are in relationships, make sure to maintain your friendships. Plan a weekly girls night filled with gossip, cupcakes and "The Bachelor." I promise they will make time for you. Also, use this time to better yourself. Focus on your schoolwork, start a new book or TV series, take up a hobby, join a new club. It is okay to go out alone. Go to the movies alone. The perk to this is that you won’t have to share your popcorn and you can freely let out your oh-so-embarrassing laugh. Go eat alone. The waiter might judge you a little at first when you order a large bowl of queso for yourself, but who cares what they think anyways. And just think, your friends in relationships have to share that large bowl of queso with their boo-thing. So who’s really winning here?
I’d just like to take this moment to thank the two men who have always been there for me, Ben and Jerry. I couldn’t have survived the years of singleness without you guys!
