Lucky are those who are blessed with a best friend in life, the most valuable gift the universe can give you.
I met mine when I was about three years old. I won’t bother you much with the details but, coincidently, our lives just matched and fixed like the pieces of a puzzle.
We used to hang out with each other all day talking, playing, being all goofy and lost in our own little world—a world filled with uncombed hair, dirty clothes, messy hands, dolls, crazy talks of time travel, ghost, aliens and whatnot. Our day began with us inviting each other over to play and finished with imploring our mothers to let us remain for another five minutes. We went to the same school and shared the same class. We were like the two halves of a snowflake, so much alike and inseparable.
The other day when I was talking to her, I realized how much she had influenced my life and vice versa. We were opposite from each other and maybe that’s what made us so close. Whenever we perceived any issue or thing differently, we both shared our perspectives to learn about the other side of the coin from each other.
She was always the outgoing one, with a large circle of friends, a passion for sports and dancing, and a knack for making people laugh. I, on the other hand, was the introvert who preferred to spend time with a small group of individuals with whom I felt most connected, who enjoyed reading, singing, sketching, and was a studious nerd always in her thoughts.
We both had a great deal of respect and admiration for one another. She was criticized for not being committed to her academics, whereas I was continuously chastised for not speaking more often. The expectations placed on us were ridiculous and made us feel like we didn’t belong.
At least the best part was that we had each other!
Friendship is significant as it fosters a sense of belonging, brings hope and joy, extends a helping hand, provides emotional support, and gives guidance when desired.
Whether or not you realize it, their impact extends well beyond the present. Your strong friendships influence the trajectory of your life. A good friend will perceive you as the person you aspire to be and the relationship will enrich you by encouraging you to become more like your ideal self.
Their preferences, opinions and decisions also determine how you spend your money, such as whether you purchase more or less (in my case, more books or clothes, though I now have both—an excellent book collection and a fantastic sense of dressing), whether you go on more holidays or stay at home. It can also influence how you spend your time, such as whether you choose to volunteer for some charity or spend more time relaxing with a bottle of wine.
This isn’t the same as peer pressure when you act specifically to fit in with the group. Rather, it is mostly unconscious. Your brain is continuously gathering up clues from the people around you to shape your behaviour, especially your closest ones.
True friends are those who have a neurological influence on our self-image. They make us feel good while we’re with them and we always respond to their compliments and criticism. And thus, we take solace in the fact that they are always there for us, no matter what!
You know what they say, “One real friend has the power to transform your life forever.“