Bosom Buddy

National Best Friends Day. A day dedicated to the people who keep us sane. Who make life brighter. Who hold up mirrors and remind us of who we are when we forget.

Chandler and Joey. Nick and Schmidt. Timon and Pumbaa. Dionne and Cher. Zac and Screech. Thelma and Louise. Oprah and Gayle. Ben and Matt. Snoop and Martha.

We all have a Robin to our Batman.

I’ve always believed that best friends are self-made family. As an only child, my friendships weren’t just friendships—they were lifelines. The brothers and sisters I got to choose. The ones who stood beside me through every chaotic, beautiful, messy chapter of my life.

They were the people I whispered my biggest secrets to. The ones who never judged me for my impulsive decisions but still called me out when I needed it. The ones who showed up—for the good, the bad, the life-changing.

The heartbreaks. The failures. The risks. The sleepless nights of overanalyzing texts from guys who weren’t worth the stress. The vacations that turned into lifelong inside jokes. The deep conversations that saved me when I thought I had no one. The kind of love that isn’t conditional, doesn’t waver, and feels safe in a way nothing else ever does.

Friendship isn’t just about having fun. It’s about loyalty, trust, dependability, and acceptance. It’s the only kind of love where you don’t have to be anyone other than exactly who you are. And that? That’s a damn blessing.

I was thinking about the day I first met my best friends. What was it? What made them different? What made them the ones? Because we meet hundreds, thousands of people in our lives. Most of them float in and out—acquaintances, coworkers, people you text twice and then never again.

But best friends? They stick. And I think it’s the same as falling in love. It’s a feeling. Yes, there are traits we love about them. Yes, there’s chemistry. But in the end? It’s all about that feeling. Something clicks. Something just makes sense. And suddenly, this person you barely knew last month is the person you now can’t imagine life without.

Webster’s dictionary defines friendship as: “One attached to another by affection or esteem.” and “A favored companion.”

I love the word attached. Because that’s exactly what it is. A tether. A bond that holds, even when life tries to pull you apart. Some friendships last for a reason or a season—beautiful, fleeting, temporary. They teach us something, bring us joy, and then, like chapters in a book, they close.

But the lifers? The ones who survive the chaos of time, of distance, of changing seasons and responsibilities? Those are the ones who matter most.

The reality of growing up. It’s bittersweet, isn’t it? The way time moves. The way we go from seeing each other every day to once a month if we’re lucky. The way we used to have all the time in the world, and now we’re lucky to get a quick catch-up call between meetings, babies crying in the background, running errands and life pulling us in a million different directions.

But here’s what I know—real best friends don’t disappear. No matter how much time passes. No matter how life shifts and changes and rearranges us.

The good ones stay. And when you see them again, it’s like no time has passed at all.

I can’t talk about best friends without mentioning our fur pals. The one with four legs. The one who never gets tired of me. The one who doesn’t care if I’m having a bad day or if I forgot to brush my hair or if I’m crying over something ridiculous again.

My dog. Dogs are literally called “(wo)man’s best friend,” but to me? He’s so much more.

He’s my roommate, my playmate, my shadow. My furry little therapist who just knows when I need comfort, even when I don’t say a word. I think love—real love—is unconditional. And he is the definition of it. (Yes, sometimes he’s a big pain in the ass. But then again, aren’t we all?)

And that’s what best friends do, isn’t it? They love you through it all. Through the good. Through the hard. Through the messy, complicated, unfiltered versions of you.

Best friends become family. And I don’t know what I’d do without mine.

To the ones who’ve seen me at my best and my absolute worst. To the ones who stayed, even when I wasn’t the easiest to love. To the ones I laugh with, cry with, and navigate this crazy life with.

I love you. Always.

Peace, love & Happy National Best Friends Day. xoxo.