You’re a True Friend

JENNY LEE
Features Editor

“You did NOT just snitch on me,” so-called friend A rages, sassily Z-snapping friend B. “You spilled my secret 17 years ago!” supposed Friend B counters, still holding onto that kindergarten hatred. A chain of drama unravels.

Although not every relationship lasts forever, certain friendships last longer. There is no definite recipe to having long companionships. However, healthy friendships often have a few key components: honesty, trust and, most importantly, acceptance.

Honesty establishes trust; most of the human population will agree that trusting a liar is difficult. With a lack of trust comes a lack of communication—opening up to each other will prove to be challenging.

But above all, no matter how much honesty or trust there is, maintaining friendships requires mutual acceptance. No one has perfect traits. Accepting friends for their flaws—their quietness and awkwardness, their love for strange food like chili powder-covered jícama, their uncanny attraction toward gory horror movies or their lame jokes that make crows caw (they find them so funny, but they never are)—is what fuels the bond. A friend will accept our idiosyncrasies and not judge us when we need to cry on their shoulders.

First and foremost, be a friend (both of you). The friendship will follow.