7 Things You Can Only Learn from Your Best Friend

There's no one quite like your best friend. Sure, you have siblings and partners and other amazing people in your life, but your bestie gets you like no one else can. She's seen you at your best (hello, first job offer!) and at your worst (yes, we're talking about THAT suuuper drunk night), and still loves you just the way you are. Your best friend will always be intimately connected to you, no matter what direction life may lead you, because she's the one who helped you learn ALL of life's hardest lessons.

Whether you succeed or fail, your best friend will be there, no questions asked. If you learn some bad news or have a little squabble with your partner, she’ll show up to comfort you (even when you ask her not to) and stand by you as you take on life’s hardest moments. She’s like that teddy bear you couldn’t go to bed without as a kid, only better because she can actually help you talk things out and move forward.

Life is going to get hard at times because, well, it’s life. There will be days when all you want to do is throw in the towel and break down in tears. Your best friend will teach you that it’s totally okay to collapse into her arms, cry on her shoulder, and take over her night when you just need someone to be there. She’ll turn on your favorite Taylor Swift song and break out some wine, because she understands that sometimes that’s just the only way to work through things (whether it’s a bad breakup, a bad day at work or a bad fight with your mom about your wedding). And when all else fails? She’ll sit you down and reassure you that you’ll be just fine, even if she’s not convinced you will be.

Your best friend has seen you without makeup (mornings are hard). She noticed when you just went to bed after that late night spin class (yes, she saw that you skipped the shower and went STRAIGHT for the pajamas). She’s seen you when you haven’t moved off the couch for DAYS (sure, it was a snowstorm, but still…). And she doesn’t judge you. In fact, she reminds you how cute you are and dishes out compliments like it’s her job. She understands that sometimes you need to just veg, but wants you to know that you’re amazing even when you don’t try at all. She’s your self-esteem booster when you just can’t muster up the energy to say ANYTHING nice about yourself.

We all SAY we’re going to move on from a fight, but that’s easier said than done. Your best friend will help you see that holding onto the past is only preventing you from enjoying the present (and possibly even your future). She’ll help you see that maybe your parter sucks sometimes (ew, that was a jerk move), but he’s generally a keeper (he does love you though…I’ve seen how he looks at you.) She’ll teach you how to forgive that guy who broke your heart (this was never a long-term thing) and forget him just as easily (you can do WAY better). Your bestie will always be there for you with words of encouragement but will also push you to move on because, well, life’s too short to dwell on the negative!

Anything worth doing is worth doing well, and your best friend will NEVER let you forget that, whether you’re deciding what to have for dinner or trying to decide if you should end your three-year relationship. Life is full of hard decisions and choices, and your best friend will help you make those pros and cons lists (even when she’s over your indecisiveness) and make you believe that whatever you choose is the best decision possible. She’ll even bring out those positives whenever you need to be reminded about the merit of your decision.

Your bestie definitely knows more about you than anyone else. She’s your partner in crime and your closest confidant. She’s heard about everything from your family problems to your sex problems and has listened with an open mind and an open heart. She’ll also share her deepest, darkest secrets with you to let you know it’s okay to let your guard down; that no one has their act together. Facebook may have you convinced that everyone you went to high school with is living this perfectly filtered life, but your bestie will help you understand they’re not. She’ll teach you that EVERYONE is just figuring things out as they go along.

Sure, your mom, dad, and siblings are your family, but it doesn’t just end there. Your best friend will show you that you have a support system that’s bigger than the one you were born into. She’s held you as you said goodbye to your favorite uncle, took you to the nail salon after a bad breakup, and laughed with you as you look back at all your childhood fashion choices. She’s proven to you time and time again, that she loves you like a sister and will protect you as if you’re one of her own. Because you are.