Mason recently posted an article about friendship, and I wanted to give my input. For me, friendship means a lot, maybe more than it does for other people.

In my opinion, a friend is someone who makes life easier, be it in a large or small way. Whether it’s by making you laugh or encouraging you to cry, they just make life better. In a different way, though, I see it as an investment. If I put time and effort into a friendship, I always hate seeing that time lost when the friendship is broken. Losing a friend is always heartbreaking for me, as it negates those shared experiences. It’s painful and miserable, which is why I try and avoid doing it.

One thing I’ve learned since being at uni is that your friend doesn’t have to be constantly present for that relationship to remain strong. Mason and I haven’t seen each other in months, but our friendship is still as strong as it was when we would meet every morning. I think it shows how strong a friendship is when it can be maintained without constant communication.

Friendships are important to me because for a long time I didn’t have any. Until Year 11, there weren’t many people that I would call friends. I slowly became part of a group where I realised that some of those people could be firm friends, and they have remained so. The members of that group know who they are, and should know my affection for them. I’ve made some incredible friends, especially in the last five years.  It is also crucial to realise who among your circle are actual friends, and who are almost superficial. Making those mistakes can hurt you in the end. So, I try to hang on to the true friends purely because I know what it’s like not to have any.

Now, talking of friends, I wanted to shine a spotlight on Mason. Over the six years of our friendship, I’ve realised how strong our relationship is. It is based heavily on humour and the several cock-ups we’ve made. Just sitting on his doorstep (because we’d locked ourselves out) giggling improves my day massively. He is one of the few friends I have that I see more as a brother, given how similar and close we are. From upside-down wheelchairs to vandalising common room posters, we’ve made several memories as the disastrous duo. Here’s to several more, pal!

So, if you want to take something away from this post, it’s that finding friends might be hard, but once it’s done, life becomes easier. Keep them close, because it’s difficult to get them back when they’re gone.

Will

“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” – Euripides