DO YOU HAVE A FRIEND?

Imagine this is me and my bestie! We are yet to visit the beach and take pictures like this.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how I overcame rejections and how supportive my friends were; you can read the full story here. It got me thinking about the importance of friends. Often, we are unaware of the impact of friends in our lives; we tend to overlook their contributions and sometimes forget to appreciate them.

On Thursday, I saw an article on the different categories of friends, and I realised that some of our friends play multiple roles in our lives despite what is happening in theirs. A friend can affect everything from our blood pressure to our immune function to heal from illness. For this reason, it can be essential to have good friends.

This brings us to the question of who is a friend.

Who is a friend?

A friend is someone you know well, like a lot, and care about even though the person is not a family member. Despite the standard definition of a friendship as a relationship of mutual affection between two people — a friend is so much more than that.

A friend can be someone you’ve bonded with for years or someone new. A friend can come from any aspect of life. Your bond could be over a favorite sport or TV show, or you met at school, a place of worship, or work. A friend can come from any aspect of life.

Signs of a Good Friend

Now that we have an idea of who a friend is, let’s look at some signs of a good friend that provides quality and healthy friendship:

Always there for you

A good friend is constantly there for you. Whether you are living your best or worst life, that person is there through simple words or grand gestures. Good friends understand that life can present significant challenges and should be there for you when that happens.

Listens

A good friend is always someone you can be vulnerable to, regardless of the situation. You easily speak honestly to the person because of the genuine care and listening ear given to you.

Apologize and Forgive

In friendship, there is a likelihood of arguments at times. Good friends understand this and can apologize and forgive. Good friends always forget the past and nurture the friendship despite what happened.

Signs of a Bad Friend

Honestly, not all friends are good; if you have been questioning your friendship with someone, here are some signs to look out for:

Unreliable

Some friends only want to be with you when you can help them; they are gone once their needs are sorted out. It is good to help each other, but if your friend is only available when they need something or the help is one-sided. This means you are being used and not a friend to the person.

Prone to gossip

Yesterday, I was talking with my best friend, and she mentioned there is a difference between Gossiping and Idle. Gossiping entails diminishing others, using harmful words, and spreading rumours. If your friend is trash-talking others, the friend is talking bad about you, too; such a person cannot be trusted.

Always Negative

A bad friend always brings a cloud of negativity; they may focus on the negative aspects of life, complain excessively, and drain your energy with their constant pessimism. Spending time with such a person can be draining, emotionally exhausting, and demotivated.

The difference between a good and evil friend is clear; friends are meant to make life easier and less complicated. If anyone is adding complications to your life, cutting the person off and moving on is okay.

Real Friendship

The happiness that comes with having a real friend in your life!

Friendship is wonderful, and having real friends is blissful, but having friends takes work. It requires time, effort, and the ability to put others before you. In exchange for all the effort channeled towards friendship, a friend can provide immense support and comfort in good times and bad.

As much as the piece hammered on friends, it would be best if you were a good friend, too; we often complain about bad friends, but we are terrible friends. We expect people to be there for us when we aren’t there for them; sometimes, we spread the rumour and expect people not to trash us!

Real friendships are important because they help us create memories, share laughs, and experience things together. I genuinely wish everyone experiences real friendships, especially during downtimes when things are difficult and life seems unfair. In those moments, real friendship will encourage you to keep moving forward even when quitting is the best option!

End Notes

It is crucial to cultivate and cherish real friendships in our lives. These connections go beyond superficial interactions and are built on trust, loyalty, and mutual support. Real friendships give us a sense of belonging, comfort, and strength during good and challenging times. So, let us strive to be there for our friends and value these precious relationships, as they can genuinely make a difference in our lives.

Special shout out to my friends….Y’all are the real MVPs! Thank you for being there for me when I needed you the most! I wish I could hug you all physically!