A little public service announcement for the day: it is okay to be a third wheel! I know millions of people are out there reading me right now (yeah you know who you are) and are thinking to themselves, “This girl is 100% wackjob crazy” and you’re not wrong, but hear me out.

As a frequent third wheeler I know that third wheeling can often times can have a negative connotation. It almost always seems to beg the question “Why is it that you single, loser spend time with an obviously happy couple?” and while I know this is a difficult truth to swallow, the fact is, no one cares if you’re third wheeling or not. It's all in your head! Feeling like an add on because you haven’t found your significant other is just foolish. In life, we all go at our own pace. So just because you haven't found someone yet, doesn’t say anything about you finding someone ever. No one is going to look at you and wonder why you haven't found someone or why you aren’t off doing your own plans because frankly, no one cares that much and everyone third wheels eventually in their life. Besides, there's nothing wrong with spending time with your friend and their partner because guess what, you love your friend and they love each other, therefore you and your friend’s partner are also friends. Ever heard the saying my friend’s friend is my friend and my friend’s enemy is my enemy? Of course you have, and that's why you understand me when I say that third wheeling is really just a chance to better your relationship with your friend’s partner.

Now, I understand that while the social stigma surrounding third wheeling can be somewhat ignored, perhaps your feelings during the awkward times when your friend and their partner make out every time they say something cute and gushy about each other can't be ignored. For that, I have a very complex remedy. Its called getting over it. People fall in love, they don’t just step into it, meaning that sometimes love doesn't give you a choice. We are all scared of becoming that couple that loses their friends and spends all their free time “studying” in the bedroom but newsflash, as soon as we find that person, it will happen. Not because we aren’t good at keeping our word, but because love controls us. So, the next time you’re waiting in line for a table and your friend is sucking her boyfriend’s face off, shut up and stand tall and proud, because not only are you illustrating that you’re unashamed to be their third wheel, but you’re also showing that your friend’s romantic decision will never get in the way of your friendship, and that's what truly matters.