Love can be experienced in so many ways. There's love between parents and children, among siblings, between lovers and friends. There's also the love we have for our neighbors, favorite footballers, artists, and movie stars. People form strong bonds with their pets also. This is to show that love exists in so many forms. However, romantic love is the most talked about and sought-after. There's a common perception that it is the greatest and most important. We often believe that the only way we can find our soulmates is through romantic relationships. Well, this isn't the only kind of relationship that offers affection in great doses.
Friendship is one of the most underrated bonds. We have conditioned our minds to see it as common, convincing ourselves that it's everywhere. Being the most natural form of partnership, this train of thought is correct. As a result of this, we don't value it as we ought to.
Everyone has friends but not every one of them is good. Personally, I have great friends. I want to believe luck played a huge role in that aspect of my life. But if there's one thing I'm grateful for it is people i call my friends. It is such a great feeling having people that support you, shower you with love and affection, show concern and affection and never leave you questioning your place in their life.
Just like romantic relationships, friendships are perfect with the right people. I don't believe one has to have a multitude of friends to feel good. It's always quality over quantity. You can have 100 friends and be unable to boast of 10 coming through for you. On the other hand, you can have five friends that would fill up the space of one thousand.
One of my all-time favorite thing to do is hang out with my friends. It's always so refreshing and fun. I can be having the worst time but when I'm with them, I forget how shitty my life is and dwell on the goodness around me. We need to understand that various people have different roles in our lives. There are friends you go to when you need advice on certain issues. This set of people might not be able to give you a shoulder to cry on when your spirit is broken. There are friends you run to for financial assistance but can't rely on them for relationship advice. There are friends that you call when you want to have a good time and others to fill you in on different gossip. Some friends are all these things to you. But the fact that one friend is incapable of a particular thing doesn't make them less. Everybody is present in our lives for various purposes and as long as they play their part, it's fine.
I love the moments when I and my friends would laugh at our old jokes till our stomachs hurt and we run out of breath. I find comfort on the days I break down and they give me tight hugs to reassure me that everything would be fine. Moments, when we would be up at 2am sharing life dreams and encouraging each other, are amazing. I love when my friends come to me for help and advice and I help out. I love when I make them laugh when they are hurting. It's exciting to fight anybody who messes with them.
The reason why a lot of people don't have great friendships is that there's no intentionality. We treat them so casually that we forget that just like every other thing in life, you need to put in work. Just like you take care of your romantic relationships, it should be the same for friendships. Talk to your friends, check up on them, give them gifts, buy them food, support them and pray for them. Friendships that stand the test of time are those where both parties are invested in making it work. People find soulmates in friendships too.
