I know that "best friend" is a title that we hold VERY near and dear to our hearts. We all have a best friend, but most of us have more than one. I know what some people are thinking right now, "How can you have MORE THAN ONE best friend, isn't that the point of having a 'best friend', because they're the BEST of your friends?" I hear you, I do. But I whole heatedly disagree. You may have an ultimate "best friend" but you also may have 3 or 5. The point is, there are different types of "best friends", and they are ALL important to us!! I totally believe that your heart has room for more than one BF, and it's okay! You love them as individuals for a reason, and you shouldn't feel bad about that love! Just realize that no one is REPLACING ANYONE, your friends are different and you're different from your friends' other BF's. Emotionally, we get certain things from certain friends. If you're having trouble sharing one of your BF's with another BF, remember that they love YOU, and your relationship is separate and different from their other relationships. Don't feel threatened, just realize that you both give and take certain things in your friendship, and make the time to find out what that is. When you know that, it doesn't feel as threatening, ya know? I've just gone through this recently and at first I was CRUSHED. You know, I was really affected by it. And then I realized that me and the other person provide this specific BF different things, and that's okay! As you get older and your lives become more complicated, this becomes more and more pertinent to know. Types of different Best Friends: 1. Your "Best Friend Forever"; Your life long BFF; i.e. Your Soul Mate This is your best friend that you've had since you were in diapers. You seriously CAN NOT remember a time before they were your best friend. You have pictures with each other at every stage of life. You may have gone to different schools or lived in different states, but you've been together since the beginning and that will never change. EVER. Because you're soul mates and nothing could ever come between you. You may have some rough patches, but what relationship doesn't? This person is YOUR PERSON. You've shared everything together your entire lives. Heck, you've probably been planning your "grown up lives" together since you were five! 2. Your Childhood BF(s) from School/Your College BF You went to the same middle school or high school or college together and you've experienced the same things together with those friends/enemies. These bonds are very strong because you faced puberty or mean girls or crushes on the most popular guy in school with them. You sat next to each other in so many classes, you can't even count them all. And every class was spent passing notes and writing to each other in your "notebook". (Yup, even in college!) They know everything about you and you still laugh (hard!) about the same inside jokes since you were 12. They never get old! And either does your friendship. 3. Your Sister/Relative/Mom BF Yup, this (these) gem(s) were lucky enough to be related to you by blood, which means you share more than just love and friendship, you share a genetic bond that is unlike any other. They're the ONLY people that can really understand the quirks of your family or things you've gone through growing up. They're the ones that while they HAVE to love you, CHOOSE to have that friendship also. They're the ones that have seen you at your worst, you've seen them at their worst, and it doesn't even matter. They know your "family secrets", and even better, share in the burdens of the rough times together. They are your support system. 4. Your Work BF You spend at least 40 hours a week with them and you still love them. That's a major thing right there! You might only see them at work and that's okay! Or you might after seeing them 8am-5pm, choose to go out after and basically see them for almost the entire time you've been awake. These BF's are important because they understand this part of your life. And they might be the only one! You share co-workers and clients and bosses and they're the most understanding and sympathetic listeners when it comes to work-drama, because they're in it too. They ease the everyday work stresses and make every day more fun/bearable/interesting. They're the ones that randomly bring you a Red Bull first thing in the morning or bail you out of that 2:30 slump with some chocolaty treats! 5. Your Guy BF This is a very unique type of friendship. The dynamic is just slightly different than that of your girl BF's, because of course it is. And not in a bad way, in a really really good way! You talk about most everything and give each other advice about relationships and offer support when things aren't going their way. You watch sports/scary movies/action flicks together that your girlfriends don't want to see. Best of all, when you're scared that there might be a serial killer outside your house or you know, you get a flat tire, there's someone you can call on to help you. You go to them with your guy problems because they always help you figure it out, but they're also ready and willing to beat someone up for you, should the circumstance arise. They just make you feel safe and you can always count on them for a laugh.