By the time we've graduated from high school and are starting college and life in the real world, we have all formed some pretty solid relationships. Whether we've known our best friends since we were five years old or if it's only been a few years, we've connected with a certain group of people by now.
While not every friendship is the same, there are some very similar ways that close friends act towards each other, especially if you've known each other for a while. We all care about the people we've grown close to, and these are just a few points that I've noticed are common with my close friends.
1. A lot of your conversations lead back to past moments with each other.
When first meeting a friend a lot of your conversations involve exchanging stories about what happened before you knew each other. After knowing someone for a while, they become a part of your stories. You hear yourself saying "Do you remember that one time when we..." instead of saying "One time, I..." Of course, memories do continue to be made without each other, but it's always great reminiscing about the past with someone who was there as well.
Not only do you have the fun memories with each other, but your close friends were also there to witness the times you made a complete fool of yourself. If someone were to ask them if they had any funny stories about you, they would be able to list some that you may have even forgotten about yourself.
3. You can be your complete self.
When you first meet people, you usually hide that "crazy" side of you. You're worried your new friends won't want to hang out with you anymore if they knew that you were actually really weird. Once you've gotten comfortable with each other, though, you discover that you're all "crazy" and weird, and you start to let that side of you out easily. You like each other even more because of this.
4. You can be real with each other.
Sometimes when you first meet someone, you're really careful about making sure not to hurt each other's feelings. Once you've known them for a while, though, you start to cross the line more about what you talk about. If you have a serious problem with your friend's attitude, you feel a lot more comfortable with bringing up the issue and solving the problem together. Close friends look out for each other and call each other out on their faults, which is not as common with newfound friendships.
5. If you need someone, they'll be there no matter what.
It doesn't matter how busy they are or what's going wrong in their life at the moment; if you need help your closest friends will be there in no time. After you've known someone for so long that they've seen you at your worst moments as well as your best, you know they'll be there when you need help in the future.
Friendships are some of the best things in life, especially the ones we've developed over years. You may have gone from crawling to walking together, or you met during your awkward puberty phase, but you've grown close over time. While some friendships pass and new ones form as we grow older, there are always those few people who have always been there through it all. You've all grown into the amazing people you are because you had each other. Make sure these people know how much you love and appreciate them. Friendship is precious.
