With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to remind people that platonic love is important too. Friendship and familial love are just as precious as the love from a significant other. This is not an article to undermine relationships that are not platonic. However, we do undermine the significance of a platonic relationship.
It started at camp when they taught us to keep relationships platonic during the week. As a former camper and now a counselor at the camp, I definitely agree that camp relationships should be kept platonic. From my experience, the strongest bonds I made there were the ones that were platonic. I made so many friends, but because of the amount of time I spent with them, they felt like family. And they still are family. They saw me when I was vulnerable, supported me, and helped me grow.
Platonic relationships have been with us from the start. It starts with our family who later let us out in the world and meet the people who will ultimately become our friends. For the most part, it is just a given that family and friends are there to support you all the way. They are there for you at your most critical moments. They celebrate your successes and any achievements you make for yourself. But the most real ones are the ones who are there for you when your day has not gone too well. A real relationship is something that takes commitment and both sides giving effort no matter what type.
I have to thank the platonic relationships around me for being the reason I am the person I can be today. To my family, thank you for raising me and still being there even if you are miles away while I am at college. To my camp family, you have been with me for so many years. You supported every risk I made and cheered me on when I needed it. I am glad to be working at a place that has taught me so much about what growing up means. I platonically love you guys! To my LifeSkills family, you helped me confront my fears. You taught me that there are boundaries that even I have, and I do not have to push myself for the sake of others. Even though I am not good with heights, you never pushed me to go higher than my own limits. To my friends back home, I miss all the times you have been there as my therapy group. Your realness has pushed me to a better person. To my new friends at college, thank you for reminding me that it is okay to ask for help and to pretend that things are okay when they are not.
I am still a growing human being who is still learning a little more each day. However, it is enough for me because I have people supporting my growth.