#FriendshipGoals is ultimately the worst thing to ever happen to the Internet, maybe even shooting ahead of #RelationshipGoals. Cute (and nicely edited) photos of best friends doing cute poses or silly videos of friends doing things together get shared over and over with the hashtag #FriendshipGoals, which essentially boils friendship down to taking good photos and having a good social media presence. But a best friend is more than a good photo partner and a scheme for likes, and more than a funny video on the internet.
The problem with #FriendshipGoal is twofold. First, it insinuates that the friendships you currently have are not good enough. Secondly, it perpetuates an idea that looking nice externally is the most important facet of a relationship. I'm sure some of the people in those viral friendship photos have a good relationship, but you don't know. They could talk behind each other's backs and treat each other really poorly, but as long as they can take a good picture together, they are "goals."
A friendship, a good one, is more than what you see on the outside. A good friend is the person, who unapologetically tells you that you look fat in that dress you're about to buy (and it may hurt now, but you'll thank her later when you look good in pictures). A good friend tells you your hair looks bad and there's food in your teeth and the guy you're going after is an idiot. A good friend sticks up for you in front of you and behind your back, and is constantly looking for ways to cheer you up when you're having a terrible day. When that guy leaves you or you are sick on what feels like your deathbed, a good friend asks, "what can I do for you?" A good friend does homework in silence for hours with you in the library (and congratulates you 100 times over when you get an A on that exam you studied your ass off for), and holds your body up and your hair back when you let a crazy night get the best of you. A good friend doesn't have to take good pictures with you, because they make good memories with you.
My "friendship goal" is to keep with me the people who have stuck with me this far, to keep around those people who held me when I failed and celebrated with me when I succeeded. It is to never lose the people who haven't left my side. Your only "friendship goal" should be to find those who make you the best and brightest version of yourself and to never let them go.
