Do you have a BFF ?

I read somewhere yesterday that only 35% of women polled say that they have a best friend. I’m not talking spouse or adult kids, those friendships are different. But a classic “best friend”.  That one person who is always by your side.  Someone you could call in the middle of the night and would rush over no questions asked.  Someone to take a spontaneous road trip with, hold your hair while you are sick or cry with you while watching Grey’s Anatomy.

For me, the types of friendship go like this:

Workplace friends:  People you laugh with, talk crap about other coworkers with, they make your job fun.  You don’t see each other outside of work but you probably spend more time with them than your other types of friends.

Social Media friends:  You may have met them in person or online, but either way you pretty much only connect through social media these days. You tag each other in funny memes, like and comment on each others posts, know what is going on in their lives based on what they share. It’s a very real type of friendship and your social media life is better because of them.

Friendships based on your kids:  These are the moms you meet because of Little League, marching band, Girl Scouts, etc.  You don’t hang out together without the kids but have gotten to know each other as you wait around for the kids to finish up.  You text each other when you forget what time something starts or if your kid needs a ride home. The kids often hang out together so you sit together at birthday parties and know a lot of the same moms/kids. But once the kids move on to different classes or activities the friendship fades away, and that’s ok.

Close Friends: These people may have started as another type of friend.  Or they may be a neighbor or friend from high school.  However you met, this is someone you hang out with. You’ve been to each other’s homes and you know each other’s families. You’ve gone places together; concerts, road trips, movies, etc.  They will show up to your parties and help you clean up afterwards. You have a solid foundation of shared memories.

Best Friends:  These are the people who started out as close friends. But over time you have gotten closer and now they are family. You get each other’s stupid jokes, you can look at each other and know what you are thinking.  They will tell you if those jeans make your butt look big or if you need to blow your nose.  They feel comfortable enough to tell you they disagree with your opinion but will always have your back with outsiders even if they don’t agree with you!  You know you could show up at their door in the middle of the night and they would just hand you a pillow and blanket and you’d talk in the morning.  Your relationship can survive distance, full time jobs and hectic schedules.  These are the sisters you chose for yourself.

I do not have a BFF.  I have quite a few best friends and to say that one is the “best” of them is just not possible.  There are some that I would call up for certain things.  Watching scary movies, jumping out of planes, singing karaoke, playing group games. But I can’t narrow it down to one person and say they are my ” best friend forever”.

What about you?  Which of the following is most true for you ?

 Do you have another type of friend that I didn’t include?  Do you want to do a shout out to your best friend?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments…