Most of my friends reading this will probably think "you can't talk because you HAVE a boyfriend."

I do have a boyfriend. Going on four years. We've done long distance for all of it. Twice, that distance was across the ocean when I studied abroad for a semester. For all intents and purposes, we shouldn't have lasted this long. But we did.

But I wouldn't trade him for all my friends. Being with him did not solve all my problems. I still got lonely. Mostly because I wanted friends. Since I had very few at college. And fewer at home. I was lonely. I felt like I should just be blindly happy since I had a boyfriend, but I wasn't. And while he's my best friend, he's not my only best friend.

Romantic relationships come and go. You can be attracted to a person one day and the next, that spark is gone. But platonic friendships are what last. Relationships built on a mutual trust, respect, and love always last.

But we throw those friendships away time and time again for romantic involvements. And the only difference between the two is sex. Being admired, adored, and wanting to feel loved.

We need to start showing love to our platonic friends. To tell them repeatedly they are admired and loved. Because platonic friendships are more important than romantic ones.

After all, you can't have a good romantic relationship without being friends.