Friends come and go as life changes, but if you're lucky enough, you'll find friends that stick with you through thick and thin. These are the friends that you can call at midnight when you've had a rough day — you know they'll have the best advice and a shoulder to cry on, and hopefully they'll bring chocolate. You've made countless memories together that you'll cherish forever, and they're practically family. Friendship is a two-way street, though. It takes being a good friend to keep good friends.
Naturally, no one is going to want to doing things for you, be there for you and spend time and money on a friendship if you treat them like dirt. Friendships are not about one person serving the other, but rather fellowship, love and sacrifice between BOTH people.
Friendships are for:
1. Accountability.
Having a select few friends that you trust to hold you accountable and keep your secrets is crucial. I didn't find these friendships until later in high school and especially in college (shoutout to my roommate for being the bomb!), but they have made all the difference in the world. Don't just seek these types of friendships for your own gain, but for the other person's as well. Be that accountability partner that they need without becoming a helicopter mom.
2. Advice and Comfort.
Sometimes I get so frantic in a situation that I simply need someone that will listen to me and remind me of truths that I already know but forgot in the moment. And sometimes, friends have amazing advice and a new perspective on the situation that you never would have thought of. Even if all I need is a listening ear and a hug, I know I have friends I can turn to. And the best part? They love and trust me enough to come to me with their worries too. I hope to always be the kind of friend that people can trust and feel comfortable enough to come to.
3. Growth.
If a friend isn't helping you grow as a person, or especially if they're dragging you down, you might want to reexamine that relationship. Toxic friendships are not worth keeping around. Good friends help you grow and they challenge you and call you out when needed. Return the favor and do the same for them.
4. Love and Support.
If they don't love and support you, what kind of friends are they? The greatest friends will love you at your lowest and support you through hard times. They will be your backbone when you don't feel like you can stand and you should be the same for them. It's just the basics of friendship.
5. Good Times.
While all the things mentioned above are crucial to a healthy friendship, you obviously have to get along with your friend. If you can't let loose, have a good time and create memories, what kind of friendship is that? Be the type of friend that tries new things, goes on adventures and creates memories that will last a lifetime.
No person is perfect, so no friendship will be either. You'll have disagreements, they may say things they don't mean and emotions may run high, but you know at the end of the day that they still love you no matter what. Fellowship with like-minded friends is such a blessing, and I hope that I'm even half as good of a friend as my girls are to me! ♥
