Friendship is one of the greatest things that life has to offer. Finding friends who offer true, genuine friendship is something that can improve your life tremendously. Having friends that you can text to come sit in bed with you, friends to run an errand with, and friends that are there to hear you beat the same dead horse, are friends worth keeping.
The number of times that my friends have heard me complain about the same thing a million times in just the past week would probably drive a person insane. But, they’re my friends, so they don’t mind and they don’t judge. Real friendship relies on honesty, trust, and love for one another. This means making a mistake, but forgiving because they’re your friend and you know the true intentions behind their actions. It means making a mistake and apologizing because they’re your friend and you never meant to hurt them.
True friendship is hard to find. I have been through a lot of friends who made me question what friendship was or who I even was as a person. A lot of my self-doubt has stemmed from friendships that I saw as real, but simply weren’t. I think that who you surround yourself with makes up a lot of who you are as a person. People see you as a reflection of who you spend time with because if you’re willing to be around people day in and day out, you must like the values they represent.
This mindset has always been a bit detrimental to me. Mostly due to how individuals might treat you compared to how they treat the general public. I find that it’s best to assess your friends based on everything they do. Take note of the hellos they don’t give, the perspective they hold against people, and the grudges they hold. But don’t assess your friends as if they’re the enemy from the start. You are your own individual, and you have your own values. Stay true to yourself and don’t ever change for someone else.
Despite all of the self-love you should have outside of friendships, friends really do benefit your health. Friendships benefit our health by improving mental and physical well-being through emotional support and stress reduction. They help combat loneliness, boost self-esteem, and reduce the risk of depression. Social connections can also strengthen the immune system and lower stress hormones. They provide a sense of belonging to people and improve their self-image! If your friendships don’t feel like this or aren’t a place where you feel safe, don’t feel lost!! Good friends are hard to come by, but once you have them, don’t let them go!