Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

Friendship is a beautiful bond that brings joy, support, and a sense of belonging into our lives. From childhood through adulthood, finding and nurturing genuine friendships is a crucial aspect of our overall wellbeing. While friendships come in all shapes and sizes, there's something truly extraordinary about a big friendship - a friendship that goes beyond the usual dynamics and becomes an integral part of our lives. In this article, we will explore the dynamics of a big friendship and share insights on how to nurture and cherish these remarkable connections.

The Definition of a Big Friendship

A big friendship is a term used to describe an exceptionally close and enduring bond between two or more individuals. It transcends the realms of a regular friendship and often feels like an extension of family. While people can have multiple friends, it is in big friendships that they find the deepest emotional connections, unwavering support, and unparalleled understanding.

What Makes a Big Friendship Special?

Big friendships are unique as they tend to grow and evolve over time, surviving the ups and downs of life. Unlike other relationships, big friendships are not based on convenience or necessity. They are built on a foundation of trust, shared experiences, and mutual respect. The level of emotional intimacy in big friendships is remarkable, enabling individuals to share their deepest fears, dreams, and vulnerabilities, knowing that their secrets are safe and their feelings will be heard without judgment.

Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

by Aminatou Sow(Kindle Edition)

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2425 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	251 pages

FREE

The Challenges and Rewards of Big Friendships

While big friendships offer incredible rewards, they also come with their fair share of challenges. Maintaining a big friendship requires effort, commitment, and understanding from both parties involved. It involves navigating through conflicts, misunderstandings, and disagreements, but it is precisely during these tough times that big friendships grow stronger.

The rewards of big friendships are endless. These friendships provide a sense of belonging, emotional safety, and a support system that helps individuals go through the highs and lows of life. Big friendships bring joy, laughter, and an overall sense of fulfillment that cannot be replicated by any other relationship.

Nurturing a Big Friendship

To keep a big friendship thriving, there are several key elements to keep in mind:

• Open and Honest Communication: Regularly check in with your friend, express your feelings, and actively listen to their thoughts and concerns.
• Quality Time: Dedicate time to spend with your friend, whether it's through shared hobbies, dinner dates, or simply creating new memories together.
• Support Each Other's Growth: Encourage and support your friend's personal and professional growth. Celebrate their accomplishments and provide guidance during challenging times.
• Be Reliable: Show up when your friend needs you, be there to lend a listening ear or a helping hand.
• Forgiveness: Accept that conflicts and misunderstandings are a part of any relationship. Learn to forgive and move forward, focusing on the larger bond you share.

Celebrating Big Friendships

Recognizing the importance of big friendships, it's essential to celebrate and acknowledge the individuals who play such a significant role in our lives. Plan special events, surprise them with thoughtful gestures, and express your gratitude for their unwavering support. Big friendships are something to treasure and nurture throughout a lifetime.

Big friendships are an extraordinary gift that enhances our lives in ways we cannot fathom. With their ability to provide emotional support, laughter, and a sense of belonging, big friendships hold a special place in our hearts. Cherish your big friendships and invest time and effort into nurturing these invaluable connections. Remember, a big friendship is worth all the challenges and rewards it brings into your life.

Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

by Aminatou Sow(Kindle Edition)

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2425 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	251 pages

FREE

A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul.

Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls.

Aminatou and Ann define Big Friendship as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a Big Friendship is making the decision to invest in one another again and again.

An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.