When life is throwing you curve balls and you can barely trust yourself, your friends show their true colors. Guilt, fear, sadness, and anxiety are all horrible feelings to feel and when friends cannot stand by you, then it only worsens. What I have noticed is that you always need support, but it is when you are doubting yourself that this support is the most needed. Friends are supposed to love you no matter what, but what is important is that they also stand by you. In your time of weakness and strength, they must always stand by you. It does not matter the occasion, good friends will have your back and always will. The ones who doubt you while you are doubting yourself are negative elements in your life as well. You cannot have that negative energy when you are already feeling so dull to begin with.
When life gives you a reason to really not like yourself, those are the times in which your friends need to come in and support you as who you are. Good friends remind you that you are not the opinions of people who do not like you. Those are the friends that come over with non-dairy ice cream or with movies just to tell you, for the millionth time, that everything will be alright. In some ways, they get you back on your feet because to them, you are worth it. All these things make for everlasting friendships. They are the ones to be cherished and held close for many years to come.
These friendships are important to your own mental health. They help you realize what is important and what is not. Feeling supported and feeling someone back you up is a feeling unlike any other. You realize that no matter what, these important people in your life stand by you and they will help through the crappiest of times. You do not need those who make you feel unappreciated when you are feeling weak. If they cannot make you happy during a rough situation then they are, first of all, not the right people to be talking to when you are in a bad place, but secondly, they are not being that great of a friend to you.
If you are ever in a situation where you feel lesser about yourself or things just do not seem to be going your way, look for those friendships to support you. They will help you through the times where you wonder about who you are. That reassurance that someone else stands behind you in everything you do will only improve your mood and your mental state. Life may get rough, but it is never worth being that unhappy. Trust me when I say that life is too short to not love who you are and forgive yourself for the mistakes and/or non-mistakes. So, hold those friendships close, but do not forget to share that same support and stand by those who you love the most whenever they need it as well. Friendship is a two-way street as well, but that is for a different article.
