A Day to Celebrate Your Best Friend, Best Friends & Furry Friends

Use your power to let the close friends in your life know that you appreciate them.

Today is National Best Friends Day in the United States. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the best friends in your life, whether a long-time childhood friend, a work friend, college or high school friend, neighbor, spouse, partner, or even your pet.

We’ve written in the past about the?importance of friendship. Unlike family, friends are people we choose to associate with. Mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are all preordained; we stick with friends, and they stick with us, even without a genetic connection!

All friends, but especially the best ones, enrich our lives. They not only help us celebrate the great moments of life, but also guide us through the difficult parts. One study found that strong friendships help people navigate whatever life throws at them, whether it’s a breakup or divorce, death of a loved one, family problems, or unemployment. In fact, the strength of a person’s friendships strongly predicted resilience to distressing situations.

Take stock of all your friendships and commit yourself to tuning them up. Is there someone who was once a best friend but has slipped away? Or do you have a good friend who is on the verge of becoming your best friend?

Even if you have fallen out of touch, your best friends will always be a “bestie.” These are the people who played an important role in your life, and that fact is never lost. National Best Friends Day provides an opportunity to rekindle the relationship.

Do you have an icebreaker for rekindling a friendship? I invite you to share how you’ve reached out to besties at [email protected].

Use your power to reach out and connect!

I can’t help but come back to a quote from Dr. George Everly, a member of our?Connectivity Council: “Nurture the relationships you have, rekindle the relationship you’ve lost, and create the relationships you wish you had.”

I asked?Connectivity Council?member Dr. Chloe Carmichael about how our community could keep up with their friendships. Among her ideas, she suggested scheduling connection time with your friends, be a connector to other friends – perhaps reuniting via email or text your group of friends from college. And finally, be honest about your intentions. If you haven’t spoken to your best friend in a while, reaching out on National Best Friends Day might provide the perfect excuse to reconnect.

Multiple best friends or BFFs

It’s important to use your power to recognize not only your best friends, but your close friends on this special day that celebrates the very foundation of friendship.

I will practice what I preach and make sure I reach out to all my friends this coming occasion as an excuse to check in and stay connected. You might pick out a trait you like about your best friend or recall a tough moment or a great laugh that you shared together. These are all ways to honor, maintain, and build your relationships.?Life is all about relationships.

Pets as best friends

“A dog is a man’s best friend” is an old saying that rings true today. Loyalty and companionship are traits that define true friendship for people and animals alike. And pets do not talk back and aren’t critical – most of the time, at least. I recently nodded off on the couch while watching golf and was awakened to my grand-dog Iggy licking my face. I was startled and may have said something unkind. Let’s just say Iggy gave me “the look.”

Two of our community members shared stories of their canine best friends, Goldy and Lilikoi.

Lilikoi

"My dog Lilikoi, Lili for short, is a Jack Russel mix. She is about 7 years old now, and her name means passionfruit in Hawaiian. The name suits her well since passionfruit is sweet but has tangy and zesty notes too. Lili is a fun-loving, smart, and energetic dog with a definite sass. I love that my four-legged bestie gives me a reason to wake up early each morning and take her on morning beach walks. Through all of life’s ups and downs, she helps me to find joy and gratitude in the little things every day."

-Margie L.

Goldendome

"When your child leaves for college, it’s a bittersweet moment. Our new puppy came into our lives after our son left home. We named him “Goldendome” after an iconic building at our son’s college. Our little Goldy has filled our empty nest with wonderful energy, love, and laughter. I no longer do school drop-offs and pickups; but now a highlight of my day is getting Goldy from doggy daycare at the end of my workday!"

-Lori

Happy Best Friends Day!