The Importance of Having That One Friend

As human beings, it is the inevitable truth that people will be in and out of our lives. As we grow as individuals, who we associate ourselves with constantly evolves. Who we keep around becomes based off our shared interests, time spent together, and what characteristics we find valuable in individuals.

During this evolution, casualties are bound to happen. Friends you might have died for years ago are now nothing more than a chapter in your long story of life. The memories of the times you shared are nothing more than that — memories. No matter how much we long for that feeling to return when you would just spend hours with each other can never be salvaged. Even if you were put in a room with said person, the likelihood you’re able to pick up where you left off is slim to none. The unfortunate reality of it is that it’s no one’s fault. That’s just how life is.

With so many people coming and going, it’s easy to view friends as just blimps on the radar. You slowly become cold to the fact that one day you might never talk to this person again. In fact, more often than not, we just ignore this fact. We choose to live in blissful ignorance believing that, even if you hold a friendship with someone, the bonfire will slowly trickle to a flame. Next thing you know, you’re exchanging stories at the 20th high school reunion and trying to catch up on each other’s lives. It almost makes having meaningful friendships worthless.

Through all of this, though, it’s important to construct a long term bond with at least one friend in your life. Almost everyone has that one person they still chat with at least a few times a month on a regular basis. A friend that you can actually sit back and remember the “good times” with. This will be the person that you more than likely will have in your wedding party or who will be there to see your children be born. As easy as your friendship with this person may be, it will also probably be one of the most important relationships you ever have in your life.

This person will help keep you grounded. They tether you to the fact that, in a world filled with cold and calculating people, there’s some good out there to be found. They remind you that genuine human connection is a thing to be celebrated, and that even though not all friendships last, they all can mean something. When you mature into your years, they remind you of just how far you’ve come. Depending on circumstances, they can even be a figure of your past to show you that you’ve come a long way and should be proud of yourself.

Every human on this planet is just trying to figure this world out. Through the tears and the grinding, having that one friend can be the most comforting thing in the world. You feel like you’re not alone in your struggles. Tackling your strives together can be an empowering motivator to not only help yourself but them as well. As conversations turn to those of earlier years, both friends can congratulate the other on the great things they’ve done.

At the end of it all, the most important thing to realize is that the friend the chooses to stick around was the one worth having all this time in the first place. This person has watched you change before their very eyes. They’ve seen you at your best, and they’ve surely seen you at your worst. Despite all of this, they’ve stuck by your side through it all, and at the end of the day, isn’t that all we really want? A friend, someone who will be there through thick and thin.