If I asked you, “Who are your closest friends?” who do you picture in your mind first?
Think of how important they are to you and realize how much time you spend with them, especially if you are in college. Your social circle is imperative to your life; they can have significant influence on the way you act, dress, make lifestyle choices, etc.
This past month, I have personally been working on gratitude – it is important to me to maximize positivity and realize how much I have to be grateful for in my life, especially when life can become monotonous or difficult.
I am lucky to have a fabulous, amazing girl gang around me and having them is absolutely crucial for shopping, getting nails done, or talking about our love lives. However, I realized how special it is to have close guy-friends (not boy-friends) in my life.
And so, Collegiettes, this is a tribute to all of the special boys in our lives that are essentially our big brothers!
1. They’re in it for the long run.
These boys are not attempting to take you on an expensive, romantic date. Therefore, the drama associated with romantic relationships should not apply to your friendship!
One of my best guy friends, one of which I have known since the eighth grade, and I have truly experienced the ups and downs of a long-term friendship. Having gone through middle school and high school together (and now college as well) means that we have gone through crucial life changes together.
Often times, we didn’t see eye to eye on things and had different interests. Two summers ago, this led us to have a serious fight that was so severe that I refer to it as our “friendship-break-up.” We took time away from each other for a bit, but eventually re-evaluated our relationship and discussed to work things out. If we hadn’t had a platonic relationship, he would have turned into an ex-boyfriend immediately. Today, our friendship is stronger than ever.
2. They love you for your personality, not your looks.
In other words, you both know that you don’t need to impress each other. They love you for you and genuinely like being around you. If I am going over one of their houses, there’s no need for makeup or a cute outfit, which is extremely stress-relieving. They also make great gym buddies – no need to worry about being covered in sweat around them.
3. They’ll be honest with you, especially when it’s most important for you to hear.
Whether it’s telling you if that dress looks weird on you or if that boy doesn’t seem to like you back, your best guy friends will always be honest with you. This goes along similarly to how you do not need to impress each other. They also present different perspectives that your girl friends may not even think of.
4. Need a date to a formal? They’ve got your back.
This applies to any event that you may need a date or accompaniment to; no matter what, you’ll both have fun since you enjoy each other’s company. It’s a fool-proof plan. Even if it’s simply going to lunch, it’s nice to have company! One time, I called one of my best guy friends repeatedly until he answered because I really wanted to get a burrito at Chipotle, and I wanted someone to come with me. He was happy to join me and the best part is, he wasn’t even annoyed that I’d called him so many times.
5. They’ll always be a shoulder to cry on. (And they give the best hugs!)
You can go to your best guy friends about virtually anything. Well, unless it’s about makeup or anything of that sort. I am grateful that they listen patiently to anything I have to say, and give great, logical advice. Whenever I am freaking out over something, whether it’s a daunting upcoming exam or friend drama, they’re always there as a safe place to dump my thoughts and to offer support.