I’ve got the best friends a girl could ask for, and I’m sure everyone feels like that about their friends. As cliche as it sounds, these gals have truly been there for me through thick and thin. A special few have been my friends since we were babies.

These girls make me laugh, hug me when I cry, tell me to stop when I’m being too dramatic, feed me favorite foods, empower me and love me. The list could go on forever. I never have and never will pass up a chance to hang out with them, especially now that I have a boyfriend.

“Hoes before bros.” “Chicks before dicks.” We’ve all heard sayings like this, though they’re often taken as a joke. Choosing a guy over your friends is a concept I will never understand.

Your girlfriends are the ones who came first. They’re the ones who, time and again, put your broken pieces together when someone breaks your heart. And they’re the ones who share your happiness and excitement with each success. They’ve been with you through it all; They’re worth keeping around.

Every girl in a happy relationship wishes they could spend all day, every day with their boyfriend, but whatever happened to movie nights and dinner dates with the girls. Shutting out friends isn’t typically done on purpose. It’s easy to be swept off your feet by a dream boy and get caught up in all the glory of a relationship, but the girls who have been there with you through every other highpoint in your life don’t want to miss out on this one. Neglecting the great ladies in your life is no way to repay them for everything they’ve done for you.

Boyfriends are great, don’t get me wrong. Nor am I saying that you should abandon your guy. Both deserve your time, love and effort, but there’s just something so unique about the bond we have with our day one friends. Finding the balance between a boy and your girls is pretty tough and wanting to spend all your time with both groups is a common struggle. To make it all worthwhile you have to find that equilibrium.