Tell your friends you love them. Tell them often. Tell them always. Leave no room for misunderstandings. Say “I love you.” If those words scare you, tell them in more subtle ways. Send them songs that remind you of them, send them funny or sweet pictures that you hope makes them smile. Every so often, I send one of my besties a shrimp emoji to remind her that I’m thinking about her because of a comedian we enjoy. Another friend I gifted the nickname “Angel of Lesbian” because it suited her and made her laugh, so I send her pictures related to it. Tell them they are precious. Tell them they are the best. Tell them they are special people you are so happy to have in your life.
Tell your friends how much you love them. Tell them how they light up your life and have made you a better person. Compare your friendship to that of the epic ones like Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Tell them how there aren’t enough words to express how special they are to you because there truly are not enough. When you hear they are feeling down about a situation or who they are, remind them that you are there and you love them beyond that. As long as they aren’t causing harm to others, you will be there for them, always. Cheer them up and cheer them on. They think a romantic interest is too good for them? As I told my beloved frat sister, “nah, he can be literal sunshine and still be dull in comparison to you.” (It is absolutely true about this angel that is the Big Sister of my Big Sister.)
Tell your friends why you love them. You can tell a person “I love you” but in this day and age they may interpret it as words with little meaning. Tell them what makes them so special to you. One of my articles is a platonic love letter for one of my best friends and that was merely skimming the surface, for just her. Now, when she needs a reminder that she is loved and adored I can send that to her. I aided in surprising another friend and my friend asked everyone involved why we do that. So I commented on my friend’s post, “You are as passionate as a forest fire but know when to be as gentle as rain. For as much as people try to tear you apart, you never stop building up the people you care about. You care so much about others' needs that you influence the people around you to be more aware of what they do and how it may affect other people. You have more intelligence and compassion in your fingernail clippings than most people will ever witness let alone possess. You are our friend, our family and there is nothing we wouldn't do to help make your dreams come true. This is but a token of our affections for you.” Again, very true and yet not enough words to express how much I care for this person.
People are not always encouraged to tell their friends they love them. It is too often interpreted as romantic or fake even when it is neither. We shouldn’t be ashamed to tell people that they are adored even if there is no blood relation or romance involved.
So send your friend some jokes or sweet messages today! Let them know you’re thinking of them and you love them!
