Some friendships can last a lifetime while others may be short-lived. Many may think that the more friends you have, the happier you will be. However, this isn’t necessarily true. It truly depends on the qualities that you cherish in a friend. I have had the same best friend for over ten years and many people question how that is even possible. My simplified response to this would be having trust and patience in one another. A friendship needs to have these two factors in order to last a lifetime.
My best friend and I attended the same school district through elementary, middle, and high school. We grew up together and are continuing to grow with each other. Yes, we’ve had situations where people have come in between us, whether it was boyfriends or other friends. However, we’ve always overcome these obstacles because we know how important we are to each other. To better understand how strong of a connection we have, we have already decided that we’re one another’s maid of honor in our weddings one day. This isn’t necessarily something that everyone can relate to and that’s completely okay. Friends are going to come and go. Many will teach you lessons while others will be true blessings in your life.
A lifelong best friend will stand by you no matter the circumstances. Tough situations are bound to occur with any friendship you have, so if that person cannot support you through those times, are they really worth keeping around? It’s important to take time to think about how you are treating one another. If you’re constantly questioning the loyalty of your closest friends, they may not be worth holding onto.
In order to keep a healthy, lifelong friendship, you need to communicate. Like any other relationship, communication is key. If something bothers you, talking about it will be so much more beneficial than just letting it go. It can be hard to communicate when you’re constantly separated from one another. For example, my best friend attends a different university, so it’s hard for us to see each other. No matter what, we both know we can call or FaceTime each other if we need to. Lifelong friendships only last when there is effort from all parties.
Keeping healthy friends around for a long time will bring so much happiness and comfort into your life. Hopefully, while you read this article, you were thinking about a certain friend who has always been there for you. Perhaps, you’d like to send this to them to let them know you’re thinking of them or maybe you’d just like to reach out and say “hi” to them.