Reasons Why Lifelong Friendships Are The Most Important Relationships You'll Have
By
Editorial Staff in
Life Style
On 25th February 2016
We all want to fall in love. We want to meet that one person who accepts us for who we are, lifts us up, encourages us, and shares big and small moments with us. It can be so hard to find someone who "completes" us, but everyone has a soulmate. You just might not find them in a romantic relationship.
I found my soulmate. She's a fiery little ginger who is so incredibly smart it blows my mind, but she is also a complete idiot. She will stay up with me all hours of the night to wipe away my tears or make me laugh until the ache in my heart turns to a happily sore tummy. She's the one who went to the store with me to buy a lemon just because we wanted to see what one looked like peeled. She's the one I daydream about taking a vacation with or running away to explore new worlds with.
She's the one I will protect and love until the day I die. She's my best friend. And the relationship I have with her is one of the most important relationships I will ever have. These are nine of the things she has taught me and that we all learn when we have lifelong friends.
#1 They keep your expectations realistic.
There is no better partnership than between two friends. It teaches you the perfect balance of give and take and when too much is too much and too little is too little. Friends never ask for anything in return other than your continued friendship.
My best friend could come to me with a problem every day for a year, and I wouldn't complain because I know that she would still drop everything if I needed her even for a second. You learn to not let your friend take care of you and you show them how to be independent also, but it's more than okay to ask for help when you need it.
#2 They teach you to be adaptable.
When romantic relationships end, one common reason is because "you're not the same person anymore." That doesn't really fly in friendships. Of course people can change completely and become someone we don't like anymore, but friendships are more forgiving and embracing of change. They often encourage it.
I am not the dorky little ninth grader that my best friend met. I am older and wiser with a bit better fashion sense. But she helped me get here and she loves who I was and who I am and vice versa. Friendship is about encouraging each other to become better versions of yourself. They teach you that you can't capture someone in a jar and stop them from growing. You break down the walls and let them shine.
#3 They show you that distance makes the heart grow fonder.
When have you ever heard someone say that their friend lives too far away so they're just not going to be friends anymore? Friends are connected by something so powerful that time and distance can't touch it. If anything, distance can make bonds stronger and show you just how dedicated you really are to a friendship.
You can go days, weeks, months, or even years without seeing your friends, and when you get together, it's like not a second has passed. You don't question a friend's love just because they didn't text you back right away or they had to cancel on you. There's no pressure. They'll get back to you, and you'll remake plans.
#4 You learn not to sweat the small things.
So they forgot to pick up chips. So they were a little late. When it's your friends, it doesn't seem to matter as much. They help you see what's important and what things you should just let slide.
The great thing is they'll do the same for you. They help you look at things and figure out if they're worth losing a friendship over or if you're fighting about something that's so miniscule in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, And if you do start to freak out over something little, they aren't afraid to literally slap you out of it.
#5 They will give you a reality check.
When you're acting like a crazy person, they will tell you. Friends aren't afraid to let you know what you need to know because they expect the same from you. Friends are some of the few people who will be honest with you even when you'd rather them lie, and it's because they genuinely care about you.
They will tell you that the guy you're dating is a tool. They will tell you that your outfit makes you look like a ladybug, especially when you put your backpack UNDERNEATH your jacket, but they're going to let you go out in public like that because it's funny. You can rely on your friends for the truth.
#6 They are the epitome of unconditional love.
Who else will still love you when you haven't showered in a few days, you have smudged mascara on your eyes, and you've eaten your body weight in ice cream? Who will dance down the aisles of the grocery store with you just because? Who else will tell you you're gross and give you a hug all at the same time?
Your friends. Yup, my friends are insane and they embarrass me sometimes, but they love me and I love them no matter what they look like or what they're going through. We love each other just because we do and that's all we know how to do. We don't know how to love in a friendship with conditions.
#7 They teach us to appreciate the good things.
The friendship that you have is something to be proud and happy about. Friendships last so long because we cherish them so much and we put the effort into them so they CAN last. It's hard to find good friends, so when we get one, we hold on to them.
#8 You know when it's time to let go.
Some friendships, no matter how long they have been around for, will come to an end. These relationships teach us not to hold onto things just because we don't want them to end.
We learn to be okay with change, and we see how it helps us move forward in life. Our friends are there for a reason, and some stay forever and some move on. It can be scary letting go, especially when it's a friendship that was a big part of your life, but you can't cling to things that once were when you're trying to live in the now.
#9 They let you be free.
They are there for you without judgement. They make you smile and laugh and will give you more memories than you know what to do with. You come to know that you can make it through anything, and those who stay by your side the whole time are your true friends.
Friends will let you make mistakes so that you can grow, but they will be there to help you get back up again. Friends are the family we get to choose, and life is so much more fun with them around.
