Hey, listen to these very cool and fun relationship facts, as determined by a 2014 study:
“The average woman will kiss 15 men, enjoy two long-term relationships and have her heartbroken twice before she meets ‘The One’.”
“She will also suffer four disaster dates and be stood up once before she finally settles down with the man of her dreams.
“But she will also have been in love twice, lived with one ex-partner and had four one night stands.”
Very cool. Very fun! All of this is to say that boyfriends* come and go, but best friends** are HERE TO STAY.
*Generalizations are dangerous. Treasure the people that love you regardless of what type of relationship you have with them.
**There’s a reason best friends are the BEST, though.
1. A best friend is more understanding of your mood swings
Not only does a best friend know what pisses you off, she can sense why. She can also sense when there isn’t a good reason for your bad mood at all, which is usually a foundation for argument if you’re around your boyfriend. She won’t hold your occasional shitty attitude against you (as long as it’s only occasional).
2. A best friend will watch reality TV with you
Listen. All girls like some form of reality TV. Sometimes reality TV is the only thing that can cure a hangover, a breakup, a bad day at work, or any other issue. The highly produced “real” problems and mind-numbing gossip floating around rich people is escapism at its finest.
3. You can take trips to the bathroom together
Important for recon, last-minute conversations, makeup touchups, removing the spinach from your teeth, etc.
4. A best friend knows when to lie
We all need to be lied to sometimes. Have you ever seen that Ricky Gervais movie The Invention of Lying? Without a little bit of good old-fashioned deceit, human relationships would perish. A best friend will tell you nobody saw you eat shit on top of your DQ Dipped Cone as she ushers you out from the watchful stare of your crush.
5….And when to be honest
A best friend will let you know whether or not you look unflattering in that dress, that maybe you should apologize to your coworker for losing your temper, that you’re being an idiot in letting that guy hit you up late-night style over and over. She does it because she cares.
6. A best friend will always back you up
Even if you’re wrong (at least in public)(like that one Train song). This is a best friend’s JOB.
7. You can tell your best friend “I love you” whenever, wherever
Ideally, you’d be able to end every phone conversation with your boyfriend with an “I love you” as well, but it’s just not the same. Probably because the words don’t have as a weighted meaning in best-friend-platonic-yet-familial love— it is what it is. After a certain length of time with any dude, you will at some point go a day without saying or hearing “I love you” and that’s why best friends are necessary.
8. You don’t need a filter around your best friend
You could be your truest, freakiest self in ways you probably won’t reveal to your BF for a loooong time. Let that freak flag fly!