Not All Friends Require Time

When it comes to friendships, I find it difficult to classify people as true friends or mere acquaintances. I have experienced short-lived connections with individuals who quickly became vital pillars in my life—through their support, shared experiences, or the lessons they left behind. And that holds immense value.

That is why I rarely use heavy labels when introducing a friend, nor do I often speak of a "best friend." I say this strictly from my own perspective, though I understand we naturally assign these titles to those we care about. Still, some people stay for years and barely leave a trace, while others enter our lives briefly and shift something deep within us. If we label a select few as "the best," how can we ever know when someone else might arrive and mean just as much?

We can be unpredictable. Sometimes, a subtle, indescribable spark is all it takes for affection and admiration to take root—even for someone who might not be entirely genuine with us. Even so, we end up captivated by who they are and how they make us feel.

In other words, our connection with someone does not depend solely on who they are, but on who we become when we are by their side. Reason cannot always measure the intensity of the bonds we create, even when circumstances force us to keep them quiet or hidden.

Yet, a single action from someone emotionally close can hit with tremendous force. That is why I lean into harmony and our capacity to protect ourselves when wounded by those around us. Our internal armor, along with the immediate defenses we build, sometimes keeps us from being completely broken.

Others are not always to blame. Everyone lives in their own way, navigating the streets of their own daily reality. The hardest part is keeping that in perspective when we feel important to someone—or when we believe that feeling is mutual.