Despite the saying, “friends come and go but family is forever,” there’s a reason BFF is short for best friend forever, not best family forever. Think of it like this–everyone has a soulmate, right? Well, that doesn’t just stop at significant others, spouses and partners. We all have people out there that are so close to our hearts and souls that they’re permanently a part of us. We all have them and they usually come in the form of best friends–the forever kind.
These friends are the ones we’d do anything for, our “ride-or-dies.” As best friends, we want more than anything for them to be happy, and whatever we can do to make that happen is one of our major priorities. Here are some ways to put the “best” in best friend and be the best vina you can be.
TRUTH ABOVE ALL
Everyone lies. Our parents, our family, our friends, strangers, everyone. Without a doubt, we’ve all lied to the ones we love, but it’s important that we adhere to the truth as much as we can in all situations. If we can’t be true to the ones we love then we are, in a sense, saying they aren’t worth it (and they definitely are). They love us no matter what, no conditions and no exceptions; lying isn’t needed and it isn’t worth it. We can fake it until we make it all we want to the amalgam of strangers that surround us, but for the ones we love we should bare all and trust that they will be there through thick and thin.
BE THEIR LIGHT IN THE DARK
Our best friends are the ones we rely on the most, besides our family and our significant others (maybe even more than those). We expect them as our best friends to pick us up when everything else is pushing us down. They’re our light in the dark, like a lighthouse calling us home from the abyss of the sea. If we expect anything from them we have to give just as much. Being a best friend is more than just knowing all of each other’s grossest habits and having inside jokes; it’s about supporting each other in the of ups and downs of life.
ACCEPTANCE WITHOUT CONDITION
Empathy and compassion are what make us human, and we lend them most to those closest to us. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days (sorry, not sorry for the Hannah Montana reference) and a best friend takes it all, the good and the bad, no matter what. We all have character flaws and they don’t only impact us; they can spread to our loved ones and affect them negatively. However, as William Faulkner wisely proposed, we don’t only love because, we also love despite. Those who love us most will love us despite our flaws. A best friend will always understand and always forgive. Sometimes we feel the need to judge others and project our sense of right and wrong onto them, but friendship doesn’t thrive when we try to control and change the other. If we accept the ones we love for their entire selves and forgive them no matter how screwed up things get, we inspire a love that will last a lifetime and forever after.
The most important thing to remember is that a relationship takes effort on both parts. It won’t always be easy, but if everything were easy, it wouldn’t be worth it. Finding your best friend and keeping them close is one of the most important things a person can do. Friends make life worth living and they’re more than worth the effort it takes to be the best friend you could be, day in and day out.
Find your best friend forever on Hey! VINA today! Download it, join communities and start swiping and meeting!
VINAZINE 