Who's your best friend? Do you have more than one? Are they nearby, or far away?
I have best friends scattered throughout North Carolina, plus one who's out in Tennessee. I don't get to see them often, which often results in FDS (friend-deprivation-syndrome). FDS, is a very series problem, yet is only recognized as an official disease by, well, me. ;)
When a person has FDS, there are 5 Inevitable side effects that occur.
1.) You think of all the "back whens".
I have multiple best friends, most of whom are friends from high school and college. When I start missing my girls, I start thinking of all the fun things we used to do, and I get all nostalgic and mushy for every little adventure we had. Sometimes, it's a little over-kill though..."Oh whoa! Remember that time my friend peed for like five minutes and we laughed really hard? Yeah, that was fun. We should do that again!"
2.) You find yourself secretly jealous of all their other friends.
I want my friends to thrive in life: to do well, make friends, and be happy. But let's be real for just a minute. Even though I want them to have lots of awesome friends, when I'm missing them, it's really easy to get jealous of their adventures with other friends. I'm not condoning those feelings, but I think they are very real, especially for those of us whose friends live elsewhere!But it's important to remember that our friends need us to be real friends- to cheer them on, not get jealous when they aren't with us. What are we, in middle school? Geesh.
3.) You scheme and try to find a way to see them. NOW.
When I miss my girls, it doesn't matter how broke I am, I will immediately start thinking of all possible ways I could go see them. Maybe I could sell an organ or two for gas money? That's logical, right?Carving out time to see each other is important, and I am a firm believer in making time, but sometimes we have to be patient and carefully plan. We don't always have the luxury of making everything happen at once.
It took me almost a year to get to see one of my girls, and I finally saw her three weeks ago. It took longer than we wanted, but we planned, carved out time, and made it happen!
4.) You Worry That You Are Drifting Apart.
When I haven't been able to talk to my besties for a little while, I always start into a mini-panic-mode. "What if they don't like me anymore". "What if they've decided I'm super-obnoxious", or "what if they don't feel like I am worth the effort". All of these are pretty dumb. I mean, yes, people can drift apart, but the wonderful thing about a best friend is that many of them are always going to be your best friend, even if it's been a while since you last spoke. So stop worrying, and be thankful that you have friends that are there when it really counts!
5.) You Realize How Blessed You Are.
When I miss my friends, after going through the nostalgia and paranoia, I usually come to my senses, turn back into an adult, and realize how very blessed I am. I seriously have the best friends ever!When you have girlfriends that you can still laugh with, pick on, and go on adventures with after years of friendship, you have an amazing gift.
My friends are strange, quirky, and very different from one another, and yet, they are all amazing, kind, and caring women who love me and are there for me-and I'm there for them.
Not everyone is so fortunate, which makes me sad. I wish everyone had as loyal of friends as I do. And if you are like me and have amazing friends, be thankful. Let them know how much you love them, and put in the effort to stay in contact. It's so very important!
*If you are experiencing symptoms of FDS, contact your