I’ve been best friends with the same person since I was 11 years old, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. She’s been by my side through the happiest and saddest moments and takes part in some of my most amazing memories. I’ve been lucky enough to watch her grow through life and become the best version of herself. This friendship has come with advice, a shoulder to cry on and overall, wisdom. She’s unconsciously taught me very valuable lessons throughout our friendship and here are a few that have stuck with me.
People who truly care and love you will stick around.
Whilst knowing my best friend, I’ve gone through some ups and downs and lost some friends that meant a lot to me, but I never lost her. She’s taught me that those who want to be there and care for me will continuously show up for me. I’ve never met someone with as big of a heart as her. She’d drop everything in a heartbeat if I needed her to, and that’s the type of person everyone needs.
All you need is one person rooting for you.
I’ve found the more I grow up, the more I’ve come to appreciate having a smaller circle. My best friend has taught me that if the only person rooting for you is yourself, that’s enough. Thankfully, I’ve always had her in my corner and felt that the days when I was lonely and felt discouraged, she was my number one supporter. I genuinely don’t know if I’d be where I am today without her.
Being best friends with someone shouldn’t be difficult.
As most young women have experienced, I’ve had my fair share of on-again-off-again friendships. That type of relationship consists of lots of useless arguing, making up superficially and the cycle continues. This type of friendship is a part of life and something that I eventually grew out of, however, I noticed that my best friend was never that person. It’s never been difficult being her best friend. In fact, it’s one of the easiest things I can do. I’ve learned that the more difficult a friendship (or a relationship) becomes, the more individuals drift from one another. Overall, being best friends with someone shouldn’t feel like a chore or a nuisance.
Healing is not linear.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my best friend is one that I find myself repeating to others, and something I’ll carry with me forever. Healing is not linear. The journey of healing, in almost every way, is a process, a procedure and overall, a subjective experience. Nobody’s healing patterns are the same and that’s okay. It’s far too easy in today’s society to compare ourselves in every aspect of our lives, but something as individual as healing should not be one of those things.
Considering I know she’ll read this, I’ll dedicate this part to her. Thank you for continuously teaching me new things and helping me learn more about myself. Thank you for being my person, my best friend, and the most consistent person in my life. I love you more than I can ever show, here’s to another 10 years.
XO