Draven Jackson
Blogger | Teacher
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As Sarah Dessen once said, “Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.” Everyone needs a best friend – they’re the people we go to first when beautiful things happen to us, as well as the people we call when our lives feel like they’re falling apart. Sometimes we’ve known them our whole lives, and sometimes it feels like we only met them yesterday – but a best friend is a best friend no matter the length of the relationship.

If you’re really lucky in this life, you’ll experience the love and joy of having multiple best friends, a group of amazing people who give you the love, attention, and affection you need to get through each day. But regardless of how many friends you have or how long you’ve known them, take today to call your best friends and tell them you love them. It’s always nice to take the time to appreciate the people who are always there for you.

Good friends are hard to come by

One of the true and unfortunate facts about life is that sometimes, good friends are hard to come by, and best friends can be even rarer. Often we form friendships we think are going to be forever, but then they end up not lasting in the long haul – or, even worse, something happens to make the relationship fall apart. Losing a friendship is just as difficult as losing a romantic relationship, especially if there was a lot of time and trust put into the other person.

However, it’s this rarity that makes good friends so important. We are better able to value our positive relationships and cherish our best friends after we’ve experienced a negative relationship. Our communication skills and our willingness to work through things improve with each friendship, as do our standards for friends. So if you’ve suffered through a lot of terrible friendships or lost a few you thought would last, don’t worry – you can only grow from these experiences, and they will help you find more stable, solid friendships in the future.

Everybody needs somebody

At the end of the day, everybody needs somebody. Human beings aren’t meant to live life alone, and having a best friend is almost a necessity for making the most out of our existence. We need people to cherish, people who love us in return, and we need the companionship friendship can offer. Friends are the people we turn to when we aren’t sure who else to call, and they’re the ones who pick us up when we feel lost.

Your best friend should be your anchor. They are someone we can rely on at any point in life, and they keep us afloat when nothing else seems to work out. We can live apart from our family, and we can be single for a long while – but we can’t be without friends.

Romantic love isn’t the only viable love

One of the best parts about having a best friend is that the love you experience with them is completely unconditional. For many of us out there who have suffered through difficult relationships and even worse breakups, it can be hard not to sink into the feeling that love comes with too many strings attached. After a relationship ends, we cycle through everything we did wrong, everything we should have done differently, and tell ourselves that we simply weren’t good enough for that person.

When it comes to your best friend, there really is no “good enough.” Your best friend has seen you at your lowest, as well as during times when you didn’t have a lot to give and certainly weren’t looking your best. Still, they loved you and stuck by you without expecting anything in return. Your friendship with your best friend is unconditional and has nothing to do with romance or physical attraction – friendship is simply two people who enjoy each other’s company going out to do things together.

Best friends are an all-in-one: friend, sister, therapist, safe place

The best thing about a best friend is that they’re an all-in-one: they’re your friend, but they’re also your family, your therapist, your teacher, and your safe place. They give you the space to be completely yourself, free of judgment, and they support you in everything you do. However, a good best friend will also call you out if you’re behaving in a way that’s hurtful to yourself and others, and they’ll keep you in line when you begin to stray down a negative path.

Your best friend is every person in your life rolled into one immaculately crafted human who makes you laugh like no one else, supports you unconditionally, and encourages you to be yourself. She’s there when you need to talk, but she’s also there when you just want to have a good time. She’s the whole package!

She’s on your team from a thousand miles away

I’m the queen of long-distance friendships, and I’ve learned over time that a best friend is someone who is on your team from a thousand miles away. Maybe you don’t see each other every day like you used to, and maybe you don’t even talk as often as you wish you did, but she’s there for you through it all. Distance doesn’t weaken the friendship, it only changes the way it looks.

What’s really fun about long-distance best friends is that once you do meet up again, it’s like no time has passed at all. You fall back into old habits, sharing stories like you only saw each other yesterday. You might have a lot more to catch up on, and maybe you’re more outwardly affectionate after so long apart, but the friendship, trust, and joy remain the same.

There are no “burdens” for best friends

So many times in my life, I’ve been afraid to turn to the people around me when I needed help because I didn’t want to be seen as a burden. I didn’t want to bother anyone and make them worry about my problems when they had so many things going on in their own lives. However, I’ve recently learned that sometimes it’s necessary to rely on others. We can’t handle everything on our own, and turning to a trusted friend can help relieve so many stresses and anxieties.

When it comes to a best friend, there are no “burdens.” A good friend is there for you when you need them, and a best friend won’t hesitate to give you the space you need to let go of all the stress you’ve been experiencing. She will listen when you talk, pat your back, and tell you she’s there for you. And while this may not fix all your problems, sometimes just having someone on your side is enough.

So message your best friend today and tell her how much she means to you. Even if you talk to her daily or see her all the time, it’s good to offer these little affirmations when you can. At the end of the day, it’s always important to remind people that they’re loved.

Do you have a best friend that’s important to you? Tell us about them in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.