It’s important to make friendships that have depth and meaning.

Friendships that contain more than going out on a Friday night to drink yourself stupid, friendships that have more complexity than going out to lunch and gossiping about other people’s lives, friendships that are more than shallow conversations you could have with just about anyone.

You need more than that.

You need friends that you can go to breakfast with when you’ve had a really rough night and feel like the world is crumbling beneath your feet. You need friends you can cry with when it’s 2 AM and you’re sitting in a bathtub crying your eyes out because the guy you like went home with someone else.

You need friends that bring out the best in you, who truly want the best for you and not for the sole reason they hope to get something out of your success.

You need friends who will be there for you when you’re on the bottom of the floor shaking your fists because nothing is going the way you planned and the same friends to be there when you’ve finally overcome every obstacle in your way. You need friends who are not only going to send you words of encouragement to overcome the barriers, but actually help you push them out of the way if you’re struggling on your own. You need friends who believe in you when you don’t even believe in yourself.

You need friends who will push you out of your comfort zone, encourage you to do more because they know what you’re capable of – even if you hate them for it at the time.

You need friends who will make you angry from time to time because they won’t stand by your side and watch you fail or watch you quit, they’ll keep pushing you because they know you can do better. You need friends who won’t give up on you when you give up on yourself.

You need friends who inspire you to try new things, to learn new skills and to test yourself. You need friends who are willing to push you when you need a little push. You need friends who will say enough is enough when you’re sulking over your ex on the couch. You need friends who will rip the phone from your hand and drag you out the door to enjoy life.

You need friends who become your family, through everything you’ve been through. Friends you love like sisters, friends you miss when you’re apart for too long, friends you’d hop on a plane and fly across the country just to spend a day with.

You need friends who bring out the best in you, even when you can’t stand them every now and then because you’ll always love them more than you can ever hate them.

Cherish and treasure these friendships; they’re the ones that are going to be by your side forever.