Do you remember meeting your first friend?
Not likely. You were probably four years-old and met at school. She liked sand. You liked sand. Boom. Friends for life.
Now, as an adult, making friends like that isn't so easy (or maybe it is? I personally still enjoy sand...) But something that is really important is appreciating the friendships we DO have. So I'm asking you, the reader, to tag any friends you have that might fit these categories, and let them know who they are! Feel free to comment and add any other types of friendships I might have missed (there are so many!)
I am declaring today as "Friend Acknowledgement Day!" So let's begin...
This is the friend you call when you want to let loose and have a guaranteed good time. This is the friend who says "yes" to everything. This friend might also get you into trouble, but it's always totally worth it.
This is the friend you call when you're in a crisis. This friend is a great listener and always knows just want to say (or when not to say anything at all). Everyone needs a friend like this.
This is a friend that you met online through some sort of chat group or forum. You've never met in real life, and quite possibly never will. YET, you feel like you've known this person your whole life and you feel safe asking them absurd questions / sharing your deepest darkest secrets. Perhaps it's the slight anonymity of the friendship that allows you to be so vulnerable.
This is a friend who you really like a lot. They're a good friend of one of your friends - and you so badly want them to be YOUR friend too. But you don't want to be a friend poacher, and you feel like you can only hang around THIS friend when you have your other friend around as a chaperone. You wonder if you'll ever have a friend date with just the two of you...?
This is the friend you've known for years. The strange thing about this friendship is that if you met this person TODAY, you probably wouldn't like them very much. But because you have so many years behind you and so many awesome memories - you keep going. There is still a lot of good there, and you totally understand one another, but you're so different today that you doubt your paths would have even crossed if it weren't for the sand-box meeting in JK.
This is a toxic friend. One that doesn't add any positivity or value to your life. When you're around this person, you feel shitty. You need to break up with this friend and let them go. Now.
This is a friend that you should be attracted to, but you're not. You laugh at all the same jokes, you have similar interests, and you spend a lot of time together. Some people might even think you're dating. But you both have this strange feeling that you somehow share DNA therefore you sexually repel one another. It's perfect.
This friend is all about kittens and rainbows. Maybe literally. This friend is always a ray of sunshine, no matter what. Even on the grayest of days. This friend makes you want to be a better person, and you're so happy to have them in your life.
This friend is the epitome of cool. Everything this friend wears, says, watches, reads, or listens to is so on-trend (or pre-trend, sure that can be a thing) that you can't even believe they think you're cool enough to associate with. Yet, they seem to genuinely like you too (despite the fact that everything you wear, say, watch, read or listen to is the epitome of not cool.) Perhaps their coolness is accentuated when they're with you due to the contrast. Hmm. Either way...
This might be a work friend you met due to your cubicle proximity. One day you began chatting, and realized you're both uber geeks about __________ (insert: tech, video games, pop culture, scientific facts). You have NOTHING else in common, but you can totally nerd-it-up about this one topic for hours.
This is a friend who you go through waves of communication with. You never really have a falling out, but you definitely lose touch for chunks of time. But when you do begin talking again, you're pretty consistent about it for months at a time. And then.... nothing. No one has any hard feelings, you both just understand this is your communication pattern, and it works.
This is a friend you met only because your kids are friends. This friend makes early morning hockey practices less painful (and sometimes brings Bailey's for your morning coffee's). You like this friend.
This is a friend who has been to battle with you. Maybe you met during a very hard time in both of your lives. Maybe you literally went to war together. Whatever it is: this friend has had your back, and you've had theirs. You survived TOGETHER and nothing can ever break that bond.
This is the new mom friend you just met at a play-group or park, and you really like this mom. She seems cool, but you feel awkward about asking for her number. It feels like dating. But you oh-so-need a date! You seem to parent in the same way, and your kids are the same age. If they nap at the same time, this really could be a mom-BFF in the making!
This is a friend who you really like a lot, but you're only friends at work, for whatever reason. You keep thinking about opening up the friendship to "off hours" but you just haven't gotten there yet...
This is a friend that you loved the instant you met them. You vibrate on the same level. Yet... you don't hang out. Or you don't hang out as often as you both want to. Neither of you can understand it, and you both make a valiant effort - but the stars just never seem to align. It doesn't matter though. You both know how special you are to one another.
This is a friend you have probably known for a long time. You love this friend. This might even be your best friend. The thing is - this friendship is very one-sided. One of you is the initiator, and if it weren't for you suggesting coffee dates it would probably be ten years before you saw each other. Despite the fact that this can be infuriating, you understand the dynamic and roll with it because you love one another.
This friend is likely a compilation of most of the types of friendship listed above. This kind of friendship is rare, but beautiful. This is the friend you can party with, cry with, laugh with, and connect with. You talk all the time. You've grown together, and plan to do so until you're 100 years old. This is the friend might even be related to you. Or married to you. This friend is truly your other half. Hold onto this friend. Cherish this friend. Don't ever let this friend go.
RELATED: The Hardest Breakup of All: The Friendship Breakup
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