Friendship Day is a reminder to celebrate the people who know us at our best and our worst, yet choose to stay. In an age of packed schedules and endless notifications, a best friend who offers unwavering support is one of life’s greatest gifts.
Describing the essence of true friendship, Sonalpreet Sachdev, a licensed psychologist and relationship expert at Jihi Care, says, “It’s where a 2am call doesn’t need an appointment and is answered without any hesitation. There’s no weighing scale of status, money, or education, and only non-judgmental, unconditional love matters. They are built for a lifetime as someone we can go to unfiltered, and evolve with.”
Tips to maintain your friendship
What keeps a friendship strong for years? Psychiatrist Dr Sumaila Asif, The Full Circle, shares simple ways to nurture a bond that lasts a lifetime:
- Accept that friendships have natural highs and lows; quieter phases don’t mean they’re ending
- Express what bothers you instead of letting it build up
- Be there not just for celebrations, but for the difficult moments too
- Take the initiative to make plans instead of keeping score
- Create simple rituals; a yearly meet-up, café date, or random video call, to stay connected
- Don’t let your friendship exist only online; meet in person whenever possible
- Notice when a friend goes unusually quiet and check in when it matters
- Help each other grow through honest conversations
- Capture and revisit shared memories to keep your bond strong
- Let friendships survive disagreements by choosing understanding over judgment
(The story is compiled by Dhanvie Sharma)