There are so many quotes out there that can describe the essence of friendship — and I wholeheartedly agree with each of them.
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart, and vitamins for a hopeful soul.” – Steve Maraboli
“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A best friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find, lucky to have.” – Anonymous
While friendship can be unbelievably complex and difficult at times, it is also incredibly fulfilling.
There is so much beauty and meaning in forging friendships with others, where sometimes you learn more about yourself through your friends compared to on your own. Friends cheer us on, chastise us for our dumb decisions and, if you’re in the right kind of friendship, help us positively improve ourselves. I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for the company of my friends.
In regards to friendship, I strongly believe that friends are your wealth; if you’re lucky enough to have friends who stick with you through both the good and the bad, then you should hang onto them with an iron grip. I have so many loving words to say to my friends (and I’m sure they know that very well by now), but here are just a couple of things I wanted to remind them of:
First and foremost, thank you for choosing to be still be my friend even after knowing all my flaws and bad habits.
Thank you for sticking with me when I was in my ugly stage growing up, full of greasy middle parts and cringeworthy Hot Topic fishnet fingerless gloves.
Thank you for supporting me through the first buddings of a crush, and eventually afterward when I went through the five stages of grief due to rejection.
Thank you for making me feel welcome, especially when I’ve told you the horrors of my middle school days where I felt like I didn’t belong (and honestly, who didn’t feel that way?).
Thank you for the long car rides where we can just blast music at the top of our lungs and not care about the people staring awkwardly beside us at red lights.
Thank you for calling me out and accepting my apology when I’m hangry because you know sometimes I say things I don’t mean on an empty stomach.
Thank you for being weird and crazy with me, even at the expense of others looking at us strangely.
Thank you for hearing me out when I had my doubts and encouraging me to do my best even when faced with some tough obstacles.
Thank you for letting me branch out and discover my passions, even if it meant that I wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with you.
Thank you for allowing me to grow when I needed to, and giving me the space to do so.
In my opinion, having a solid group of friends is what allows us to experience some of our best memories throughout the years. Friends are so much more than just the people we occasionally goof off with or confide in with our biggest insecurities and secrets. They are truly the family in life that we get to choose.