I'd love to say I've always been the girl who had a million and one friends by her side, but that was never the case. While I may be in a big sorority and involved in a wide range of activities, I've just never been that girl.
At first, I thought it had to be my fault. I thought I was doing something wrong to cause this unfortunate occurrence in my life; it seemed as if I only had a small handful of friends. But, I quickly realized these close friends were the only people on whom I could seriously count in a time of need.
From my personal experience, less is more when it comes to friendships.
I would much rather have three great friends on whom I can 100 percent rely for anything, than 15 people with whom I can’t even have serious conversations. Luckily, I’ve been able to find my three “people.”
I don’t use the term “best friend” because I feel it singles people out, and in actuality, I have several best friends, not just one.
Each individual is extremely important to me, and I know I can count on him or her to be there for me, regardless of the situation. They truly are my “quality” friends, and I know that no matter what, I can trust them; we will always have each other’s backs.
The power of friendship is quite mesmerizing; it's a beautiful thing to find someone with whom you can share everything, an individual who can finish your sentences and know exactly what you're thinking before you say it out loud.
With a single glance, this person just knows. Your conversations over text never end; they just continue on and on.
These people know how to make you laugh when you’re sad and are the only ones you want to be around when anything else goes wrong. I feel as though I have this bond with each every one of my three closest friends, even though college has spread us all along the East Coast.
It doesn’t matter how far away we are from each other, or if we don’t talk every single day; what is important is the bond we share. When we’re together, it feels as though we’ve never missed a day and we still have the same, untarnished love..
If I’ve learned anything in my two decades on this Earth, it’s that friendship is absolutely invaluable.
We all need friends. Real friends, with whom we share quality relationships, will be unrelated to age. So long as you have quality friends in your life, the number of friends you have won't matter, at all.
When we witness huge groups of girls shopping together and laughing, going out to the club on a Friday night or just simply grabbing lunch, claiming to be a “strong group of best friends,” it’s sometimes all a façade.
In reality, the girls are likely jumping at the first opportunity to talk about how the one girl in the friend group is getting fat or how the outfit she wore last night made her look cheap.
These are the people in your life you will consider “friends,” but also the people who will just as easily come and go without valuing the power of friendship, loyalty, honor or trust.
The ones who stay are the ones who matter. They’re the ones you can call in the middle of the night just to talk; they're the ones who will tell you, yes, sneaking out of your house to see the boy you like is something you should do.
They’re your “quality” friends, not your “quantity” friends.
The human desire to be accepted and part of something can be blamed for allowing such mediocre friends into our lives. As humans, we want to purge ourselves of an often-felt feeling of loneliness. If we feel as though people care about us and want to hang out with us, we are doing just that.
Many people feel the need to consistently surround themselves with other people; it doesn’t matter who the people are or what kind of person. It's human nature to feel the need to be liked and wanted.
We have a need to be social. Whether it is in Mommy and Me classes as babies, or in college classes as freshmen, we’re forever in need of human interaction.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter how many friends you have if they're friends who can't keep your secrets, sit down and have a heart-to-heart or listen to your thoughts about life. I’m so lucky to have found my “people,” and I hope you’re able to find yours, as well.
Friendship is an extremely important and powerful force in our lives; it's a force we all deserve.
