“Surround yourself with positive people who make you wanna be a happier person. Those people are once in a lifetime. Keep them close.” -Anonymous
There are friends, and then there are real friends. Friends are the people that you might see on a daily basis or hang out with on the weekends. They are the people that always seem to occupy a large part of our lives, and it might be difficult to survive a singular day without seeing them, but they aren’t always your real friends.
The concept of real friends is something a lot more than the flings that I call just friends. Real friends tend to be few and far between, and sometimes we won’t meet them for many years. These people also tend to be out of the “norm” compared to the people you might normally hang out with. Yes, they support you with your life choices, but they also call you out when you’re making questionable decisions. They specialize in “reality checks” and making sure that you know what you are capable of while also always being up for conversations about anything and everything. They bring out a side in you that no one else can. Your smile is brighter, the conversations are more genuine, and the time spent together becomes more valuable.
Real friends are the people I call and talk to for hours on end. I can go to my real friends, having maybe not talked to them in days or even weeks, and pick up right where we left off. There’s no need to catch up because we already know everything. The people that are just friends don’t actually know me. I’ve never had a real conversation with them, they’ve always just been there. Real friends show an unconditional love for you, something that seems to be uncommon in this world.
Throughout my life I have had only a handful of friends and one or two real friends. Their differences were not evident to me until now though. I used to eat lunch with my friends, sit in class with them, participate in sports together, and occasionally spend weekends together. I realize now that I used to just be friends with people when it seemed most convenient to them. I didn’t realize the weird impact these people had on my life. My real friends were different from the others though. I didn’t eat lunch with them everyday, I didn’t sit next to them in class, I didn’t even really see them much. None of that matters though. They still mean more to me. Now, I have more real friends than I have just friends. These people mean so much to me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I am no longer a person that is considered a friend just because it is convenient to people. My life has changed so much because of them. I couldn’t ask for better people to support me and be by my side.
Everyone has friends, but not every friend is a real one.