One sleepy Saturday afternoon, my roommate and I walked along Ann Arbor’s well-known South University strip with orange autumn leaves lining the sidewalk. Nestled in our cozy oversized sweatshirts, we decided to pick up our favorite comfort food for lunch. I couldn’t help but smile while acquiring No Thai’s signature blue take-out container filled with my favorite go-to, chicken pad thai. Once we got back to our room, we rolled up our window blinds for the first time all day. Streams of light reflected across the floor and I could feel the instant warmth on my face. As we ate, we talked and laughed about our core memories and love stories.
It was a small moment, but it was everything to me.
You often know right away when you’ve found your people. You feel a connection that no one else can understand. There’s something about their presence that brings such a profound sense of joy and wonder into your life that nothing else could possibly create. They just get you. They see all the good mixed with all the bad, and yet they love you unconditionally.
Tough times are bearable thanks to best friends. They offer a shoulder to cry on even with smudgy makeup running down your face at 1:30 in the morning on a weeknight. When they wrap their arms around you, the raging thunder clouds in your head dissipate for just a moment. They send little care packages filled with your favorite things to cheer you up when they live too far away for hugs. They check in on you when they know you’re struggling. When you’re sad they feel that sadness, too. They reserve time on their calendar to take you out for a sweet treat after a painful breakup. They manage to make you laugh in the midst of a cathartic crying session. They provide a safe place for you to break down without feeling judged, they accept your flaws without a second thought and they make you feel loved even in the moments when you struggle to love yourself.
They elevate the good times too, slamming a high five after you crushed the difficult Econ exam that’s been on your mind all week. They hype you up after sending them a picture of the new dress you just purchased for your upcoming date party. They give you piggyback rides and crack you up so intensely that it feels like you’ve achieved a revolutionary six-pack. They cheer you on after you apply for a cool new job or position and they jump up and down with you when you receive good news. You spot one another on the way to class and burst out into a mini celebration as if you haven’t seen each other in decades. Their jokes are the reason you’re holding back laughs in quiet libraries, and their unique perspectives on life positively change your own. It’s a true gift to understand someone so deeply while simultaneously feeling so deeply understood.
My favorite people on earth have been with me through it all; they’ve made the toughest times a little less tough, the good ones ten times greater and I feel insanely lucky that we’re all walking the earth at the same time.
- My fellow tall-girl best friend is one of the most hardworking, go-getting, mentally strong and admirable women I’ve ever met. When she sets a goal for herself, she inevitably crushes it within approximately three business days. She is a warrior. I want to be like her when I grow up.
- I love laughing with the girl who matches my exact humor. She makes my heart happy, and my favorite mornings are walking with her to class. Our mutual boba obsession gives me life, and she is such a proactive problem solver. I wish I had even half her strength and confidence.
- It’s so cool living with my role model. She gives the most insightful advice, and I can go to her about anything. I’ve always been inspired by her level-headedness and strong sense of self. She’s a true gem and I can’t imagine what I’d do without her.
- My long-distance best friend has a heart of gold. She’s my non-biological sister and my rock. We’ve known each other for more than half of our entire lives and I’m the person I am because she exists. She goes to school across the country, and I miss her every day.
- I’m so grateful to the amazing people I met at the beginning of my freshman year. They have a special place in my heart for the rest of time. Random debriefs and daily adventures with my sorority sisters and study buddies are priceless, and I am a better version of myself because they’re around.
We are meant to exist within the context of everything we love. We are meant to find our people, we are meant to find ourselves, we are meant to love deeply and we are meant to love hard. So don’t be afraid to send that first text, exchange that first gesture or flash the first smile. You might just be lucky enough to find yourself a cozy Saturday afternoon debrief buddy and the many loves of your life.
To you, the person reading this: if you have a best friend or a group of friends, tell them you love them right now. Send them a text saying, “I love you” or “You’re so special to me” or “Thank you for being here.” I guarantee it’ll brighten their day immediately.
Give them some light because they’ve always been yours.