Lifelong Friends

The keys to maintaining strong, long-term friendships often take a lifetime to learn. We asked some of the longest-lasting friends how they've managed to make their bonds unbreakable.

● Honesty is always the best policy

Heather Hopkins credits her decades-long best friendship to her devotion to honesty. “【小题1】. A true friend will always appreciate honesty, even in the messiest situations. If your real friends can't be honest and truthful, do you think the acquaintances in your life will be?”

● 【小题2】

“It's said that technology is ruining relationships, but there are few things as nice as being connected with your best friends since primary school by an ongoing group,” says Lauren Gamsey. “We are seven busy working parents spread across seven cities, and we can still share everyday thoughts, big news and silly stories as if we had never moved away from each other.”

● Be realistic and keep it casual

“My four best friends from childhood and I are all married with kids. Restaurant gatherings once we had kids were always a disaster,” tells Stacey Feintuch. “【小题3】. Now we each host a meal at our home throughout the year. It may be a brunch or a pizza dinner. The host helps organise the long email chain to choose a date and does food preparation. But we all bring something to help ease the burden. 【小题4】 .”

● Don' t be afraid to put in the work so you can relax and let the good times roll

【小题5】 . That's something Goldstein Lettie knows so well of her 30-plus-year friendship. “Friendship takes work and planning. Our favourite tradition is that every New Year's Eve since 1998 we get the families together. We cook a big fancy meal and stay up half the night playing karaoke or some other silly games. We always have a family sleepover and each year it's at a different house.”

Since teenage friendships are often a never-ending revolving door of gossip between peers, what can be said about high school friendships? How long can they last outside of high school? And how does one affect an individual?

Growing up with movies such as “High School Musical” and “Grease”, which portrayed the ideal high school friendships, we sometimes have the expectation of having a perfect relationship, staying in contact after graduation, possibly even graduating from college together and becoming lifelong friends.   

Chances are you may experience genuine and pare friendships but still encounter failed ones, so high school is a time to think about what kind of people you do and do not want in your life. Although most adults see high school drama as silly, teenagers can be in the “this is the end of the world” mindset when it comes to minor inconvenience. Most teens have not realized the big question when dealing with high school problems: In five years, will this still matter? It is hard to look at the big picture when the problems are in front of you, which is understandable. However, most teens need a moment to weigh and question if the problem matters in the long run.

“In the end, the friends who are inclusive and only want to see you happy and successful are the ones that really matter. Those people have helped me grow as a person. Drama is drama, and there’s no way to get around it, but if you focus on those positive people, you are sure to live a happy life socially and individually,” Karen Hart said.

As time goes on, the fiends you were in contact with after high school slowly dwindle. People embark on different pathways and go different directions. Briana Lopez, Class of 2008 graduate and current substitute teacher, said, “I am currently in contact with two high school friends. I think the friendship experiences I had in high school shaped who I am because I learned to be open-minded and be friend all kinds of people. I learned to see people for who they are, not what they wear or who they hang out with. I learned most of all how to be a good friend.”

High school is a small percentage of your life, but it has a huge impact on who you will become and where you will go. Friendships and relationships help mold who you are, be they good or bad. Lessons are brought, and lessons are learned. If you are currently dealing amongst high school drama, ask yourself: In five years, will this really matter?