There are some friendships that crash and burn from your high school years – and then there are some that you hold near and dear to your heart forever. They have accepted you for who you are after the many phases you’ve been through. They have endured the mundane moments of your shared history and have learned the lessons of life at almost the same exact pace as you. Here are fifteen different reasons you need to send your high school friends a thank you card.
1. They were your friends before you got your life together…
Before you got your jobs, fancy or not-so-fancy cars, and an ID card stating that you’re over the age of 21 – you had your friends. Your friends in high school were okay with simply hanging out. They didn’t mind taking the bus to the mall and window shopping or hanging out at the park. They were friends with you because they liked who you were as a person and loved your company.
2. And if it still isn’t, they understand
If you don’t have your life together, it’s okay with them. Why? Because more than likely, they don’t have it completely together, either. They are right there with you to enjoy the ups and downs of growing up. They are learning the same lessons with you: that not everyone’s path is paved perfectly.
3. They understand each and every emotion you go through when scrolling through your news feed
You all have to be honest with yourselves here with this one. When you go through your news feed and read through the latest drama, or see that the one couple you went to high school with finally got married, you know exactly who to text. They will understand completely how you feel and more than likely, they are with you (on your couch!) reading it.
4. They are there through your new beginnings and heartbreaks
They were there when you still hoped dating would be easy… and that means they were there when you found out the hard way that relationships take work. They never judged you for it though, they were there to listen – with eggs in hand to throw at your ex’s car.
5. They were there to share car rides with you
After one of you got a car, your bus riding days were long gone! You drove everywhere together. They were with you on the way to school, back home, to the mall, to the movies, and anywhere else you could think of to drive. Sure, carpooling can become mundane and passé as you get older, but they made carpooling cool with the windows down and the music turned all the way up.
6. They were there to witness or experience your first taste of real life responsibility
They were there around the time when you got your first job, and more than likely they were in the same boat as you. You found out together that earning money at an actual job and earning money at home doing chores are two different things. You learned together that your parents were being nice by not taking taxes out of your allowance. You were also together when you got your first paychecks and blew it all the very next day!
7. They are the reason you have a second family
Growing up, you had more than one home, more than one parent watching out for you, and more than one car to get around in. You may have been a bit annoyed when their parents called you out on some things, but they made up for it with the free food in their fridge.
8. They were there in a heartbeat to get rid of the bad day blues
During the days where you’re just burnt out from your really hard life, your friends have been there to pick you up for a quick meal or a drive. When you weren’t allowed to take the car anywhere and needed to get away, they were parked in your driveway waiting. Most of the time, a quick milkshake or burger at your local diner was enough to make your day.
9. Lyrics, emojis, and photos can be a two hour conversation – and neither of you have a problem with that
It doesn’t matter if its the lyrics to your favorite Pitch Perfect mash-up or memes about leg day, this can go on for hours. Some people don’t understand it but that’s okay.
10. They are okay with your binge eating (no judgment here)
Sometimes we have days where the stomach can be a black hole. It doesn’t matter if you have already eaten 14 tacos, 2 pancakes, and are going in for a burger, they are okay with you doing so. In fact, they are more than likely at 16 tacos, 3 pancakes, and have already finished their burger.
11. They taught you to work and play
You all remember telling your parents you were going over to your friend’s house to do “homework,” when your time was actually spent watching TV, swimming, or at the mall hanging out. If you were actually doing homework, you were probably cramming it all together within the last hour of the four you spent at their house.
12. They taught you to appreciate every moment you are given
Remember when you were given a curfew and you had to cram all those activities planned into a three hour time frame? They were there with you during the days where you needed to make every minute count. Even on the days out that your parents weren’t aware of, you found the time to grab ice cream, cruise the mall and still be back in time to be home “after school”. This tended to happen especially when you were grounded.
13. They taught you to be okay with the camera and love your selfies.
Most of your profile pictures from MySpace and Facebook were the outcome of times spent in photo booths and testing your new phone’s camera. They taught you to love your photos and how you look.
14. They were there to celebrate the first big step in your life: graduation
Though this seems like a small celebration now that you have your busy adult lives to worry about, it was the first step to the rest of your lives. They were there to share it with you, walk across that stage, move their tassel and throw their hats with you. They celebrated with you before with your families, and after with your friends. They cried with you during the speeches and jumped for joy when they announced your class.
15. They make sure you never feel alone.
It doesn’t matter if you are going to school across the world from each other or are going to the same school for the same major, they are there for you. They are there to make sure everything is still okay in your life and that you’re not on the verge of a mental breakdown. You can call them at 4am and cry about how you wasted several years of you life on something stupid or text them for a quick beer and wings date. They will be there.
Even though high school was a small portion of your long life, you ended up with at least one friend you can send a thank you card to for being so awesome. That one friend, in my opinion, is better than many acquaintances.
Featured photo credit: Dan Anderson via flickr.com
