1. You’ve stuck together through the hardest things possible – breakups, job losses, rejections (both romantic and professional), moves, divorces, death. And when you think back on it, you have no idea what you would have done without your best friend by your side.

2. You truly understand one another’s deepest insecurities.

3. And it doesn’t scare either one of you one bit that you each know about the other’s deepest shames, anxieties, insecurities, and self-doubts. In fact, it just makes you feel closer and more understood.

4. You tell them when they did something that bothered you, no matter how small it is. Because even though passive aggressiveness might seem easier (and more satisfying) in the short term, this friendship is too important to you both to waste time with petty behavior.

5. You’ve both seen each other do crappy things before. And you never judged, but you always said something if you truly believed the other person was doing something selfish, unethical, or wrong. And they did the same for you.

6. You joyously celebrate each other’s successes, but even more importantly, you understand the depth of each other’s failures on a level that few other people will ever comprehend.

7. You admit when you’re jealous of each other. Because even though it’s awkward, you trust each other so much that you know it will always be better to get it off your chest and get it out in the open.

8. You fight (in a healthy way) and argue and complain about each other to each other’s faces in the same way that siblings would – because you’re so comfortable with each other, and trust each other so much, that you know you’ll always get over it and forgive one another. And maybe even laugh about it later.

9. You’ve seen every possible crying face the other person has ever made – weepy, heartbreaking, pathetic, joyful, snotty, red, funny, funny-but-shouldn’t be, exaggerated, shocked, and everything in between.

10. Your knowledge of one another’s romantic history is 100% complete and accurate, with absolutely nothing left out.

11. You tell each other the things you need to hear, even if they’re painful or awkward or uncomfortable or hurtful or tough.

12. As in, you tell each other when you’re not being your best selves. You tell each other when you’re settling – for a job, a person, whatever. You tell each other when you’re not being a good family member or friend or significant other.

13. You tell each other, every single day, in the most loving way possible, to be better.

14. You have to actively remind yourself to give a fair amount of attention and care to your other friends.

15. It’s difficult to remember that most other people will never understand you the way that your best friend does.

16. You’ve been through a lot of ups and most likely even more downs together, but you wouldn’t change a thing.