Hello Guys!
I have a question: do you have a best friend? I mean a real best friend who knows you the best and for whom you would do anything. You know until recently I have never really thought about this, but some people don’t have one. I realized that when my best friend once came to my house late in the night although she had to work early the next morning. That night my relationship ended after almost three years. I can tell you that I wasn’t in a good mood and I just didn’t want to be alone. So she came after 11 pm to be there for me. She told me then that when she had said to her boyfriend that she has to go to see me, he answered that he understands even if he can’t understand because he doesn’t have a best friend like that. There is nobody he would do such a thing for. Not a friend anyway. That’s when I started thinking about how life would look like if I didn’t have her. This is pretty unimaginable for me, as we have been best friends for 14 years now. She is my family and she means the world to me. That’s why I decided to dedicate this post to her, as she deserves it for supporting me for all those years.
We first met in September 2006 on the first day of school. In Germany you have the elementary school which lasts for four years, then you have either the “Hauptschule” which lasts for five years, the “Realschule” which lasts for six years and the “Gymnasium” which lasts for 8 years. The last school I mentioned gives you the possibility to study after finishing high school. I went to a Gymnasium near Stuttgart where you can mature in arts or science. I love the arts, that’s why I chose this school. So when it was the first day of school, I decided that I wanted to make new friends. So little Eileen sat on a table where nobody sat and hoped that children she didn’t know would sit next to her. That’s when three children from my elementary school came to sit next to me. Wow, that plan worked well. But then there was the moment which changed my whole life: the teachers told us that they would go out for five minutes, so we could change our places and decide where we want to sit for the rest of the year. I have no idea why they decided to do it, but it was my chance. So when they went out, I jumped up and looked for a place to sit. And there it was, a row where only one place was left as there were already two boys and a girl sitting. If I sat there my old friends couldn’t come to sit next to me as there was only one place left. So I went there, looked down at the girl, which had long brown hair and brown eyes. I asked: “Is this place still free?” She looked up and said: “yes”. And that, guys, was the moment Julia and I became best friends. I will never forget that moment as it changed everything. Also, I can tell you that my old friends weren’t very amused about my choice to sit next to new people so these friendships didn’t last very much longer.
Julia also told me her side of the story. She sat next to the only children she already knew, which were two boys from her old school. She wasn’t very happy looking forward to sitting next to two boys for the rest of the year. She was too shy back then to sit next to somebody she didn’t know. Then a blond girl suddenly stood next to her and asked: “Is this place still free?”. Well as you already know from above that girl was me. The funny thing is that we both remember this moment as the start of our friendship. We just don’t remember what happened afterwards and how we became friends. We just remember being friends ever since.
Having a best friend changes your life. For example, it’s harder for me to make new friends. We are so close, that it is difficult to feel the same about other people. I do have other really good friends, but not many. I am used to having only a small group of very good friends. Before I met Julia, I was used to having a larger group of friends so that changed. The reason why is that when you know somebody that well you extremely enjoy the time together. Spending time with people you don’t know that well will automatically be less fun, so I rather spend my time with her and other close friends of mine. I don’t know if you can relate to these feelings or not. Everybody is different so everybody experiences friendships in different ways.
The thing which is the most outstanding is the feelings I have for this girl. She is not only my best friend but more like a sister. My soulmate. I know this post may be very schmaltzy, like a romance novel, but it is like a love story, just not in a sexual way. And you know what? Even we had a moment where we were distancing ourselves and not talking for almost one year. That was in 2014, right after finishing our high school diploma. We just started arguing and being annoyed without any reason. We didn’t talk to each other until I send her a message for Christmas that year. Maybe it was puberty. Today we are closer than ever. I always say that we are so alike as we have grown up together. If you met us, you might think otherwise. She is calm whereas I am more turned up. We have different jobs and different lifestyles. But we have similar thoughts, we understand each other without words and can talk endlessly, even about nothing.
There is one last thing that’s interesting about friendships. I once read that if you have been friends for more than 7 years, the chance that you stay friends forever is very high. I hope that’s true and not just a saying, because then Julia and I, it really means forever.
So I would find it very interesting to know if you have a best friend. Just fill out the survey below if you want to know about other people and their friendships too.
Love, Eileen