Why Celebrating Friendship Is Important: A Toast To Chosen Family

If there’s one thing that deserves allll the flowers in life, it’s friendship. As we continue to get older, life feels like it starts to move at hyperspeed and it’s easy to lose track of the small things which is why we’re here to remind you that celebrating friendship is SUPER important.

Having the right people in your corner can change your life and we’re not just talking about keeping your mental health in check. Studies show that strong friendships can lower blood pressure, strengthen your immune system, and help you live longer. Yeah, we’re talking about real deal sh*t here friendships are important! Just listen to this episode of Life with Marianna to hear more.

So, in the spirit of speaking up about the small moments and honoring the people who make our lives so full, we’re talking about the importance of friendship and why you need to celebrate it. To all of the soul-sisters, twin flames, and ride-or-dies, this one’s for them. Let’s dive in!

Why Celebrating Friendship Is Important: A Toast To Chosen Family

Friends are your chosen family. 

You may have a close bond with the family you were born into, but friends that feel like family just hit different. Not only did you choose them, but they chose you right back that love, loyalty, and effort speak volumes. 

When someone shows up when they technically don’t have to? Yeah, that kind of love deserves to be celebrated. Listen to this episode of Conversations with Cam to hear why it’s a necessity to prioritize friendships like this. 

They keep you sane and grounded. 

When your life feels totally up in the air, your friends are the ones who will keep you grounded and remind you what really matters it’s like having a reality check on speed dial. 

Because, let’s be honest, sometimes all you need to hear is, “No, you’re not crazy for spiraling over this situation,” right? A little reassurance and a solid safe space are what make friendships last, and this episode of Almost Adulting tells us all about it.

If anyone makes life lighter, it’s your friends. 

There’s a lot of things in life that feel like “make or break” moments. We spend so much time wrapped up in the chaos of adulting, listening to self-help podcasts, and trying to heal our inner child. Sometimes, we just need to be surrounded by people who make us feel lighter. 

You need those days where you’re reminded not to take everything so seriously it’s okay to laugh until your stomach hurts and forget about all the heavy stuff. This is all part of fostering deeper connections and building a genuine friendship exactly what this episode of Life with Marianna is about.

Friends help you heal from things you don’t want to talk about. 

Breakups, breakdowns, bad days your friends are here to carry you through it all. They don’t just lend you a shoulder to cry on (though we’re super grateful for that, too), they’re here to lead the way when you’re in the dark.

This episode of House Guest is also here to remind you that you don’t have to do it all alone. Friends who provide you with that kind of emotional safety net are everything, and they deserve to be celebrated. 

The best friendships make you better.

Letting your guard down and receiving tough love are all part of a good friendship. Friends aren’t supposed to sugarcoat things and tell you what you want to hear they’re supposed to call you out on your BS and get you out of your comfort zone! How else are you supposed to grow? 

This episode of Conversations with Cam discusses the different roles our friends play in our lives, and being brutally honest is one of them. Even when it comes to the nitty-gritty stuff (like this episode of Girls Gotta Eat talks about), friends are here to level us up.

Friends aren’t just here for the hype; they’re also here for the boring stuff.

Building friendships doesn’t always involve the big, exciting moments. Venting on FaceTime while you do laundry or binge-watching your favorite show together are great reminders that even the most mundane day can become meaningful when you’re with the right people. 

Plus, as an adult with a super busy schedule, sometimes those “boring” moments are a crucial reminder that the “friendship spark” is still alive and well just listen to this episode of Oddvice for rules on making and maintaining a good friendship, and this episode of Good Instincts for advice on understanding and supporting friends’ busy lives. 

Friendships keep you healthy… literally. 

Friends aren’t just good for the soul; they’re legit good for your well-being. This episode of She’s so Lucky dives deeper into this topic, but we’ll hit the high points so we don’t spoil any of the good stuff. 

Studies show that strong friendships lower blood pressure, improve heart health, and reduce stress. So, basically, we’re telling you that yes, girls’ night IS self-care! Let’s normalize prioritizing people like we do our wellness routine; it’s basically one and the same anyways.

As you grow, your friends grow with you. 

Every version of you has been loved by your friends; isn’t that something to honor? The people who stay by you through job changes, big moves, shifting identities, and maybe a quarter life crisis (or two) are beyond worthy of celebrating. 

Sometimes, people are only in your life for certain versions of you and that’s okay! But finding the ones who stick with you through every chapter is essential. Listen to this episode of She’s so Lucky for more on embracing the ebbs and flows of friendship!

Good friends remind you who you are. 

Misery loves company, but so does success. If you surround yourself with friends who celebrate that success and remind you of who you are when you forget, you hit the jackpot in the friend lottery. 

It’s so easy to lose yourself in all those adulting responsibilities, but your friends get that! Conversations with Cam dives deep into that topic in this episode. When you forget to be your own hype-woman, your friends show up and do it for you. 

Who else are you supposed to make memories worth keeping with?

At the end of the day, it’s not just about who was there during the core memories and big moments it’s the people who made it memorable that matter. This episode of She’s so Lucky is reminiscent of those “debrief” moments we’ve all had with a friend group. 

The spontaneous trips, laughs during dinner that had the whole restaurant jealous, motivational voice memos, crazy nights out that you’ll tell until the end of time you couldn’t create those memories by yourself! Treasure the people who fill your cup and turn small moments into memories. 

How To Celebrate Friendship

Host an intentional friendship dinner.

Throw on your “Dinner Party” crewneck, throw a mini dinner party, and make it meaningful. Whether it’s at your place, a restaurant, or a cute picnic in the park, gather your friends and make a moment of it. Bonus points if you share your favorite things about each other. 

Send your friends something sentimental to remind them you care.

Nothing is better than a “this made me think of you” gift. Doing this for a friend shows them that you wanted to get them something special, not just something anyone could send over. It’s low effort and high impact what’s better than that?

Plan a “just because” surprise. 

You don’t always need a birthday or big event to celebrate friendship. A “you’ve been on my mind” get-together moment is just as good of a reason to honor your friends. The element of surprise makes the gesture feel even more thoughtful! 

Listen to this episode of Let’s Try This Again to learn why showing up for your friends is important.

Create a memory box.

We take so many pictures, but how often are we doing anything with them aside from throwing them on social media with a simple red heart? Make a mini time capsule full of your favorite pictures, inside jokes, notes, or anything that reminds you of your friendship. 

Hype them up out loud. 

We all hype our friends up internally, right? But stop holding it in and hype them up OUT LOUD! Genuinely, words of affirmation go so far. Everyone loves a simple reminder that they’re loved, valued, and cared about.

Authenticity is vital for a friendship; just listen to this episode of Recovering from Reality.

Curate a combined friendship playlist. 

People used to create mixtapes to give to people they loved; now, we give Spotify playlists the same vibe. It’s a personalized way to say, “Hey, I love you, and this reminds me of you and our friendship.” 

Check out this episode of Conversations with Cam for a deep convo about the value of friendships and the importance of celebrating them often.  

Celebrate friendaversary because why not?

Friendaversaries are a thing, and yes, you should celebrate them because why not? If you don’t remember the actual day your friendship started, set it for July 30th! What better day to celebrate your girl gang than the United Nations’ International Day of Friendship?

Speaking of celebrating friendship, we love this Drake and Josh reunion happening on Good Guys. Check out part one and part two for a reminder that friendship should be celebrated no matter how much time has passed!

Be there in all of the little moments. 

You don’t have to have a huge, grand gesture to celebrate friendship. You can celebrate the small moments all the same. Show up consistently, check in, and remember to ask about the little things. The most powerful way to say “I love you” is being there when it counts.

Because ily talks more about friendship rules that can transform relationships listen HERE!

Say “I love you” often and mean it!

Normalize always telling your friends that you love them. After hangouts, during deep convos, a random mid-morning text say it often and mean it! It feels cheesy at first, but life is way too short not to remind people they matter. 

As important as your friendships are, so is celebrating them.

Friendship is one of the most powerful, soul-filling parts of life. The ones that see your good days, bad days, and everything in between but choose to stand by you through it all deserve to be celebrated. No matter how you choose to celebrate your friends, be loud, be intentional, and make it count.

Check out the Dear Media blog for advice on anything from health and wellness to relationships. And, don’t forget to check out the DM shop for tons of must-have products! Grab a “ILYSM” card or “Bestie” card, perfect for a personalized handwritten reminder that you care!

Before you go, check out these posts for more about making and maintaining friendships: 

• How to Make Mom Friends 
• Not Every Woman Is Your Enemy or Your Competition
• How to Make Friends With Social Anxiety
• How to Get Past Small Talk and Form Real Connections