I am the strong friend of my group.
You know, that friend that never really lets their emotions get the best of them. The friend that everyone calls when they're having an extremely crappy day. The friend that always has an empty shoulder and just the right words when you've gone through your third relational break-up.
I am that friend.
Its like some sort of inevitable thing, every friend group has one. But, has anyone ever thought to ask how the strong friend is holding up? I can guarantee you, nine times out of ten we're barely making it. We never think to push our problems on others so we'd rather ignore our own to help our friends fix theirs. We're certainly headstrong when it comes to ourselves but understanding when it comes to those we care about. I'll admit, sometimes it gets tough being this friend. I'd place most of the reasoning behind the notion that because we put up such a tough exterior everyone may feel as though we're fine.
As the strong friend, I'm here to tell you: its okay to cry. Its okay to let your guard down.You don't have to be strong 24/7 and unless you're some sort of robot, you have emotions too. I know it can be tough because its something we're not used to and kind of weird because we're actually on the opposite side of the spectrum. I guess the saying is true, "sometimes you just have to cry it out."
Now, I'm not talking full blown therapy sessions here. But, every now and again call your closest friend and try telling them when you've had a bad day. Call them when you're anxious about that job interview you had, you know the one you've been busting your butt for. Don't worry, they'll be more than understanding and more than willing to be able to make their "strong friend" feel good for once.
The main point of all of my ranting is this—after taking care of everyone else we have to think, "Are we taking care of ourselves?"
Being the strong friend can be debilitating, but we cant become so consumed with everyone else's problems that we forget about our own. Bottled up emotions are the worst ones. So strong friend, next time you're feeling sad, mad, happy or glad let it out; scream and shout and tell your closest friends what it was all about.
