Five Ways to Celebrate National Best Friends Day

A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.

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If friends are the family we choose, then best friends are a piece of our souls. Our besties are the first ones we turn to with our elation and our devastation. They are the ones who never need our backstory, always have our backs, and honestly tell us when our backsides look big in this dress. So why not dedicate a whole day to our BFFs?

They don’t just add to our happiness—they multiply it! Just think about how much we laugh with this one person or group of pals. So, if laughter is the best medicine, best friends certainly keep us healthy. The Mayo Clinic suggests that deep-rooted friendships are good for our physical health, reporting a reduced risk of many significant health issues, including depression, high blood pressure, and unhealthy weight. Of course we also know friends are infinitely beneficial to our mental health. After all, they are cheaper than a therapist! Whether your best friend is a childhood pal, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, or someone you met at work, these tight friendships become a safe place to sort out life and love.

There are so many ways that best friends stand out from others in your life. Here are some of mine and the ways they have stood the test of time.

Making Their Family Your Family
From almost the first few days of meeting my college roommate—and her zany extended family and friends—I was accepted and brought into the fold as if I were part of them. And for someone who is an only child, that extended friendship has brought me more lasting memories than I can count. The best part, though, is having someone who can listen without judgment, ask the difficult questions, point out the hard truths, and yet, speak to me with love. All of those reasons, and many more, make this one very special. 

Checking In & Always Being There
Even though one of these friends in the picture above passed away far before his time, memories of our dear friendship still warm my heart: being each other’s dates to social events, working side-by-side at a busy hotel, sharing stories, laughter, and making friends with Lana Turner, picking up the phone at 2:00am just to hear another live voice and talk about everything and nothing at all, curling up in the denim oversized chair next to his bed endlessly watching “I Love Lucy” re-runs when his illness started to intercede. Always being there.

Knowing When to Come Through
Some friends, especially the ones you’ve known since first grade, give us a soft place to land. When life or relationships become difficult, when we lose a job or a loved one, when we face big decisions, they’re the ones who listen, guide, and motivate us. They’ll cook you a good meal and clean your house with you just as quickly as they’ll laugh with you and cry with you. They seamlessly become a part of the fabric of your life.

No matter how you choose to love on your bestie today, be sure to share it on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag: #nationalbestfriendsday

Five Fun Ways to Celebrate #nationalbestfriendsday

1. Take Selfies. If you are lucky enough to be together, take pictures to keep, to frame, and to post!
2. Have coffee, lunch, or wine—or all three! What may begin as a little coffee date can easily turn into a light lunch, or linger into Happy Hour when you are with your best friend.
3. Write them a note. How often do meaningful words go unspoken? You may connect with your best friend every day on the stuff of life, but fail to tell them often enough how much they truly mean to you. A handwritten note wholeheartedly expressing your gratitude and affection will become a treasured gift.
4. Send them a token of your friendship. Not all best friends are as near to us as we’d like. If your BFF lives far away, you may choose to bridge the distance with a surprise gift. Some ideas include: cookies from Tiff’s Treats or even from your own kitchen, BFF bracelets, personalized gifts, or even a vintage photo of your crew from high school or beach vacay together. Of course these also make great gifts even if your best friend lives right next door.
5. Make a phone call or FaceTime. If you don’t connect as often as you’d like, reach out, reach out and touch someone. (If you’re over 40, you just sang that old-school jingle in your head, didn’t you?) An old-fashioned telephone call can warm the soul by just hearing the voice of someone you love. Or bring it into 2020, and FaceTime for hours!

Whatever you do to connect with your best friend today: Express your heart. Create new experiences. Make lasting memories.