At lunch the other day, my brother and I were having a quiet meal downtown together to catch up when I finally got home from school for the summer. As we talked, we told stories of friends we had gotten to know over the course of the semester. He then asked me if any of these people were my 3 AM friends. I didn’t quite understand at first, but the more I considered the question, the more I realized I wouldn’t have made it through the year without my 3 AM friends.
1) You can call them in the middle of the night and the first question they ask is “How fast do I need to get there?”
They can hear you ask them to come simply by your tone of voice.
2) After a bad day you can crawl into their bed and cry or complain or whatever it is you need to do.
They are your number one choice for snuggles or therapy sessions.
3) They hold you accountable and always make you consider the consequences of your actions.
Then they help you deal with the consequences when you make the wrong decision anyways.
4) They make you get your sh*t together.
And if you can’t do it on your own, they are there to help you out.
5) When you have good news, they’re already popping the bubbly and celebrating you.
6) Nothing is off the table for discussion.
Go ahead and spill all of the tiny details because your 3 AM friends are the only ones that need to hear that.
7) 7-hour-long late night phone calls are a regular occurrence.
Maybe something big happened or maybe you’re alone on a long car ride, but your friend is always on the other end of the line.
8) They tell you what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to hear it.
Maybe you were out of line, somebody needs to put you back in your place.
9) You can trust them with anything.
They are your most treasured confidante and know you as well as you know you. Maybe even better.
10) They bring out the best and worst parts of you, whatever the occasion calls for.
They usually keep you at your best, but they also know when to give you the freedom to make mistakes they will help you deal with.
11) The bond between you and your 3 AM friend is unbreakable.
If they accept you at your worst and make sacrifices for you like no other, they are one of the most important aspects of your life.
I am forever thankful for my 3 AM friends and the person they have helped me become. They accept me for the mess I am and value me just like I value them. These friends are few and far between, so if you come out with just a couple you’re doing alright. Life would be a lot rockier without my 3 AM friends there by my side.
