My best friends are probably the most important people in my life, right next to family, of course. Honestly, though, these people sometimes accept me as I am more than my family does... When you have friends who understand and speak your lingo it gives you such a sense contentment.
Even when there are miles separating us, we remain in contact with one another. Often, sharing stupid little moments of our lives, or large rants through text and Snapchat. Although we don't always agree, we always have each other's backs, no matter what.
1. "OK, so get this..."
My girls and I, we sure know how to rant. We could literally rant about anything. We'll rant about super important things like political views or other things that greatly impact our lives as well as smaller things. Things that may be considered to be only a slight inconvenience, depending on the friend.
Speaking as an anxious over-thinker, I often go to my friends to rant and/or vent about small, little interactions that I sometimes read into and ponder upon until my brain is on a continuous loop. When a friend listens to your more-than-likely nonsense and gives you confirmation that you are or aren't reading too heavily into the scenario, then you know you've found a true friend.
2. "What do you think?"
As best friends, you will always care as to what the other has to say about a certain topic, person, movie — literally anything. When they talk you give them your undivided attention and they do the same for you. Listening is such an important facet when it comes to nourishing and maintaining a bond.
3. "You have something in your teeth/hair."
A true best friend will no doubt let you know if you have some spinach in your teeth or a flake in your hair or whatever else it may be. They'll know you'd rather be told than left alone to figure it out for yourself - after you've already seen 12 cute people. They got your back in this way. Honesty is one of the most important facets of friendship after-all.
4. "Am I looking off today?"
Again, you can rely on a true best friend to tell you the truth and nothing but, even if it isn't what you want to hear. In the end, honesty, for the most part, is indeed the best policy. As someone with anxiety, I have an intense fear of looking or smelling horrible due to bullying in my younger years and so even though I know I look alright and smell like seven different beautiful perfumes.
I still need my best friend to affirm the fact that I'm not a complete bum or disgrace to society. A truly great best friend, no matter how many times you ask them will always reply and never become agitated or annoyed, they might get sad because they wish your brain worked a little differently. They understand you and would never use that understanding against you.
5. "Forget about them! They don't matter, focus on you."
A true best friend will pick you up after you've fallen for someone only to be left hanging. I'm a hermit, so I don't have much relationship experience and thus, I wasn't really on the receiving end much, but my best friends were always in relationships. Eventually, things would fall apart and I would be there to pick up the pieces, to let them know that just because this one boy or girl doesn't see how the stars radiate from their being doesn't mean they don't radiate.
6. "Get your grind on, sweets."
My friends and I are some pretty hard-core procrastinators, but somehow we manage to boost each other's spirits just enough to get us motivated. It's almost like we're 'momming' each other. "Prioritize" is a commonly used word in our conversations throughout the semester seasons.
Or even in the summer when I've been talking about a short story I want to write and haven't had the gumption to do so, cause sometimes it seems so hard to find value in my thoughts and so my girls encourage the hell out of me cause they believe in me as much as I believe in them. It's this reciprocation that makes friendship such a beautiful gift.
7. Incoherent blabbering and/or blubbering.
If one of us isn't doing the best emotionally or mentally then we've got each other's backs. We're always there for one another through whatever may ail us. Whether it's ranting about work, school or awkward/uncomfortable social interaction, or comforting someone through a meltdown of tears. we always try to comfort and support one another as best we can.
8. MEMES.
Memes, they may not be verbal or even written communication, but nonetheless, they're definitely a form of communication that keeps our (especially long distance) friendships alive. When we haven't had the chance to catch up in a few days cause of finals, it isn't the end of the world cause we're still tagging/sending each other memes. We show each other through memes that even if we're caught up in our busy day-to-day lives of academia, we still think of each other often throughout our days.
9. "Could you be a bro?"
Best friends will do anything they can for you, as long as it's possible. From small tasks my roommate and I ask of each other — "could you pick me up a yogurt from the U?" or "I'm SO comfortable will you grab my book off my desk?" to larger less menial tasks that don't even have to be asked.
After this semester I've learned that we're pretty great caretakers of one another, flu season hit our campus severely but luckily we were infected at separate times and so we were able to nurse each other back to health.
10. "You're my platonic soulmate/You're my person"
If you really love your best friend then you've got to have said something along these lines at least a few times!
11. "I love/miss you bunches!!!"
Considering the fact that my friends and I have busy lives, we don't always have the opportunity to meet up frequently. Some of them even live hours away. So, nearly every day we have a stream of "I miss you"s and "I love you"s and "I can't wait until I can finally see you so I drown you in all my love and affection!!!"
Yes, we're that extra. Then we usually list off all of the fun things that we're going to do together, number one, of course, would be giving each other huge bear hugs.
