Do you have some amazing friendships? Well, did you know that today is International Friendship Day? Until a few hours ago, I didn’t either!
Originally created by Hallmark in 1919, International Friendship Day is an excuse to send your besties cards and shower them in love. That’s right; the card company specifically created the day as an excuse to sell more cards, but that doesn’t make it any less special.
Personally, the universe blessed me with several amazing friends who make even the worst days of my life a little more bearable. We cheer each other on through challenges, offer support when times get tough, and even cut loose and have fun girls’ nights from time to time. However, thanks to COVID-19, most of our usual activities haven’t looked the same since March. We’ve cancelled trips, postponed DIY projects, and even avoided our favorite local hangouts just to avoid exposure to this deadly virus.
Although our time together hasn’t looked the same in recent months, I feel like today is the perfect opportunity to express my gratitude and profess just how thankful I am for my gal pals. Here are 4 reasons why I’m more thankful than ever for my friendships on this International Friendship Day.
1. My friendships constantly remind me that the world is more forgiving than I realize.
The world is practically coming apart at the seams, which feels incredibly overwhelming at times. It’s hard to keep juggling everything in life even under normal circumstances, but the past several months have felt completely ridiculous. As a result, I’ve dropped some balls. I’ve missed work deadlines, forgotten birthdays, and even lost track of what day it is (which means I’ve missed some showers). You know what, though? My friends haven’t stopped loving me this entire time. They’ve forgiven my forgetfulness and accepted my apologies when I cancel plans due to the pandemic. Their friendships mean the world to me, and I am thankful that they love me despite my flaws.
2. I’m thankful that my friends have created all sorts of meaningful ways for us to still spend time together.
While I have many local pals, I also have several friends who live all across the country. Although I cancelled not just one, but two trips to see one of my best friends in California, she — and my other long-distance friends — have found ways to still spend quality time together even across the globe. My bestie and I have scheduled several “Hannah Montana Nights” where we stream episodes of the show on Disney+ and talk or text while we watch. Other friends and I send each other pictures of our day, and lots of pictures of ourselves in various face masks. Even though we can’t physically meet up and hug, we still feel connected… and that’s what really matters.
3. Working from home gets incredibly lonely, but text messages and Snapchats make it a little better.
I’m very much an extrovert, so working from home over the past four months has felt a bit like torture. Luckily, though, my friends and I all share similar humor, so we find silly things to send each other throughout the day. Whether it’s memes about masks or screenshots of ridiculous emails, these small electronic messages mean the world to me on days when I feel lonely and disconnected from the world.
4. My friendships keep me sane!
I think we all feel a little crazy at this point, but most of us would also agree that our friends keep us sane! My friends have talked me out of doing some stupid stuff during quarantine, which I’m incredibly grateful for. We’ve asked opinions about haircuts and outfits, which is essential when you’re ordering something online or DIY-ing your hair!
To all of my besties: I love you and I’m more thankful for your friendships each and every day. Thank you for keeping me sane these past four months and for loving me even during a global pandemic. We will celebrate again in person so very soon, I promise!
Photo by Liz Weddon on Unsplash
