• 1. You can truly be yourself around each other.

There is no pretending to be someone you aren’t around them. You don't have to get up and put on a pair of pumps, wear layers of make-up and frilly dresses, while giggling like a ditz to impress him, when in all honesty you’d rather be rock climbing or getting your hands dirty on a hike or fishing trip. You don’t have to be someone that you’re not just to impress him because he knows who you are and he loves that girl. You no longer have to be self-conscious because you’re best friends and you’re totally over that stage by now. That’s the true beauty in it.

• 2. You’re acquainted with each other’s strengths and weaknesses and have had the chance to learn to deal with them.

Nobody is perfect and no relationship is perfect, even friendships. However, true best friends can make it through anything through communication and that holds true when it comes to love. Every relationship comes with hardships but since you’ve most likely had the chance to deal with them before in your friendship, you’ve had the chance to grow and learn from them together as a team, becoming stronger as a couple. You may even find that each other’s strengths can help with the others weaknesses.

• 3. You know every little detail about every other, including all of those dirty little secrets of the past.

This isn’t really a bad thing. It means that you aren’t hiding anything from each other and that there won’t be anything in the future to fight about regarding someone lying to someone. They know about your childhood, the struggles of growing up, all of the things that you went through, all of the silly stories of you and your girlfriends (even though they probably don’t want to hear them over and over again, yet you continue to tell them because they are great memories), and all of the more serious details. They have also shared all of the things that have broken them and instead of using them against each other, you are cautious about how you word things as to not hurt them, even in arguments. Real best friends don't do things to intentionally hurt each other.

• 4. You trust him with your life.

I don’t say this lightly, since this is coming from someone, like me, with major trust issues but I mean you seriously trust him with your life. I don’t mean trust as in you have told this man everything and he will keep it to himself, no, I mean you’d let him make a decision for you in a doctor’s office if you weren’t able to make it yourself. You’d trust this man to take care of your children, protect you, take care of you in the time of your need, you trust this man enough to the point that you could see yourself marrying him one day.

• 5. You can talk to them when you’re upset and they will listen whenever the time may be.

I can’t even begin to tell you the countless times my boyfriend has held me while I’ve cried over the smallest things. Whether it be the fact that my friends were hurting or that I lost a personal loved one, he was there for me when I didn’t want to open up to anyone else. I never cry but there were days where I just exploded into tears and guess who was there to hold me and listen? He was. That’s more than just a boyfriend duty. That’s a true best friend. If it were 3 a.m. or 4 p.m. he’d be there for me.

• 6. You make sacrifices to make him happy because you’d do nearly anything to see that smile of his.

It’s gotten to a point where your happiness is not enough for you. In order to be truly happy, you have to make sure that he is happy too because his smile is just as important. If he is sad, you are sad because you can feel it too. If he really wants to see the new Star Wars movie and you aren’t a huge fan of Star Wars, you buy the tickets anyway and surprise him with a date because you know that he loves it and that it’ll mean a lot to him. Love is all about sacrifices and it goes both ways. That smile on his face was worth it 100%.

• 7. You have way too many inside jokes between the two of you.

This holds true for many best friends and many of you know about the weird looks you get from onlookers. One of ours is “I love you [this much]” and it’s a certain hand gesture that we do. But see, you have no clue what I’m talking about and you’re probably looking with your eyebrows raised at the screen in confusion, which is completely understandable. The more time that you spend together, the more inside jokes that accumulate and the more people start to stare but you don't care because you’re happy together. That’s what best friends.

• 8. You binge watch Netflix series together and lay in bed all day.

Homework? What is homework? What’s a shower? You literally get out of bed for food, water, the bathroom, and maybe to stretch your legs a little (I also fed our cats). You can lie in bed all day and binge watch Netflix together, all cuddled up, and not even think twice about it. We watched some AHS, Person of Interest, New Girl, Orange is the New Black, and Blindspot this year and we could not go ahead without each other or all hell broke loose. It was OUR shows to watch together. Netflix is great bonding time.

• 9. They are family with your family. (He calls my Nana his Nana, so cute.)

Oh is your boyfriend coming to dinner with us tonight? Oh how is your boyfriend doing? They are always a topic whenever you are with your family because he is such a big part of your life. Parents always ask about your best friends and how they’re doing because of genuine curiosity but also because they’ve grown close to them too. This holds especially true with boyfriends because they’re dating the little girl, they’re not just friends with them. Luckily, you never have to worry about your boyfriend being embarrassing in front of your family because your family is goofy enough on their own, so he fits right in and he’s around enough that he’s now comfortable around them. He’s part of the family.

10. He never gets sick of you no matter how much time he spends with you.

You know how you and your best go on vacation for a couple weeks but for some reason you still don't want to kill them, well maybe a couple of times, but not seriously? This is the man you’re going to spend forever with so you want to be able to live with each other and be able to get along for long periods of time. I just spent my first year with mine and it was great (I don't think he got sick of me). This is a best friend and a boyfriend. This is someone you want in your life in the long run.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have someone who is also there best friend but if you have someone that is, hold onto them tight because they will be your best chance at a long lasting relationship.