Member-only story
You Don’t Need a Best Friend
Try treating them all with some healthy skepticism.
Everyone wants that one friend. The one always in your corner. The one who holds your spit bucket. The one who believes you can win this next round. There’s just one problem with this kind of friend.
They don’t exist.
Except maybe in the graveyard of your expectations.
Our desire for this kind of kinship can blind us. I’ve been down that alley. For a while, I had a best friend. She was the type who liked to take damaged birds under her wing, and keep them there.
She was the type who stole your boyfriend, then made you feel guilty. “Not everything’s about you,” she might say.
You continue to be her friend. Because she’s interesting. She’s fun to be around. She’s a little wiser and more successful. Hanging out with her makes you feel good. She’s everything you want to be.
Scratch that. She’s everything you already are, just afraid to show everyone. So you let her steal your boyfriends, and your ideas.
Most importantly, she makes you feel special. Some people are great at becoming the best friend we want so desperately. They like becoming the only person you depend on.
