When I was a kid, my mom always instilled the importance of having a good group of friends. I never had a large group of friends, so if anything happened to where I stopped talking to any of the few friends I had, my mom always reminded me why I should fix it. She taught me how to know if a friendship is worth fighting for and her advice is something that I still use 'til this day.
Back in college, I stopped talking to my best friend that I'd had since fifth grade. We'd literally been through everything together and he'd grown to be apart of my family. When my mom would ask how he was or if I had spoken to him, I would always brush it off and change the subject. Eventually, my mom got fed up and told me that he'd been one of my longest friends and probably one of the only friends I would ever had who was genuinely going to be there for me, love me, and would still be loyal even through our falling out. After sitting down and thinking about everything that we'd been through and what my mom said, I decided that our friendship was definitely worth fighting for, and eventually, rebuilding. Although we're not as close as we were before our falling out, I'm glad that I took my mom's advice and realized that our friendship really was fighting for.
As with any relationship, friendships have their rough patches, too. So, if you're going through one or are considering rebuilding one that you let go of recently, here are 13 things that should help you make the decision.
1
They've Been Loyal
According to Thought Catalog, if your friend is loyal, you might want to fight for this friendship. Finding loyal and lovable friends is hard to come by nowadays, so once you have a few that exemplify that, you may not want to let them go.
2
They Always Know What You Need
Whether it's a hug or a large iced latte, having that friend that knows exactly what you need exactly when you need it is super hard to come by. If your friend is this person, you may want to reconsider keeping them by your side.
3
They Don't Judge You
Psychology Today noted that a good way to know if a friendship is worth fighting for is if the person is one who doesn't judge you. You want to be yourself around your friends, so if you can do that then having their friendship is a plus.
4
They Believe In You
Having a friend who truly believes in you is an incredible feeling. If you've considered ending a friendship with someone who believes in what you're doing, then think about what you'll be missing if you do.
5
They Support You
According to Thought Catalog, having a friend that supports you is one that you should be keeping around. Are they the ones pushing your closer to your dreams or showing up at that big show? If so, fight for it.
6
They Tell You The Truth, Even When You Don't Want To Hear It
One trait that I've found to be beneficial in friendship is honesty. When you have a friend that tells you the truth — even when you don't want to hear it — you've found a good one to hold on to.
7
They Care About Protecting You
Real friends are the ones that want to make sure that nothing bad comes your way and will do what they can to ensure that it happens. If the friend you're not on good terms with right now is like that, decide to work on your friendship.
8
They Encourage You
Lifehack noted that having a friend who encourages you is a great trait, too. Everyone deserves someone who has their best interests in mind at all time and you shouldn't have to settle on finding that.
9
They Have Similar Goals
Friendship isn't about being exactly the same, but having similar goals is definitely important. Though it isn't necessary that you both be interested in becoming doctors, as long as there's some sort of positive outcome to look forward to and encourage each other towards, keeping
10
They've Always Been A Positive Influence
When I was younger, my mom always told me that friends of positive influence are ones that you should strive to keep around. Because of this, I try really hard not to let anyone who brings positivity to my life leave.
11
They Are Dependable
Lifehack also noted that a friend who has a trait of dependability is one that you can definitely count on. On top of that, it's also one that you want to keep around forever because you'll never have to question if they're really there for you.
12
You Can't Picture Life Without Them
Have that one friend that you vowed to grow old with? If this is the friend who you're possibly on the outs with, then you think about what life would be like without them around. If you don't or can't imagine it being positive, consider fighting to keep your friendship.
13
They Genuinely Love You
As you grow older, finding a friend who genuinely loves you is very hard. If you're lucky enough to have a friend who loves you unconditionally and would do anything to see you succeed, keeping them around would be a great choice.
