This might seem obvious. In fact, yeah, it is obvious. Friends are important. I always knew that. Friends have gotten me through everything in my life. When I am at my lowest, they are there. I can’t deny that I have amazing friends. It never was a numbers game for me. I have always looked for genuine people to be around. I never worried about how many friends I had because I knew I had genuine, caring, loving, funny, and happy people. Then I went to college. After the first week, I began to wonder, “Is it about the numbers?” I didn’t expect it to be but it seemed that everyone was so worried about how many friends they had instead of who they were actually friends with.

Luckily, within a few short weeks, my idea of friendship went back to normal. I realized that it wasn’t about numbers in college. Maybe to a lot of people it is, but to me it wasn’t. I met some of the most genuine people I know in the most unexpected place and that immediately brought me out of my new, twisted thought. I didn’t need a ton of friends. I just wanted genuine friends like I had back home. Fortunately, I found them. I have an amazing support group at college and at home. The amazing thing about the friends I have is that it is so genuine, that I don’t have to worry if we don’t get a chance to talk every day, or even every month. Because I know that they are always there for me. I could go months without seeing one of my friends and when we get together it’s like nothing changed. They are truly some of the best people I know.

I guess my point of this article, is to point out how friendship should not be a numbers game or about status. Friendship is a relationship that you can have for the rest of your life if you are genuine with each other and care for one another. I didn’t find those friends at college until I stopped worrying about the numbers. So please, stop worrying about the numbers. Evaluate your friendships and ask if you like what you see. Look for the genuine people who will hold you accountable for your faith, who will help you chase your dreams, and who will talk to you like they just saw you yesterday, even though they haven’t seen you in months.