When you’re in your 20s, your friends are your world
They are the people who support you, stand by you when things are tough, and help you celebrate when things go well. While you likely still have friends from your childhood and teenaged years, you are also meeting new people at work, uni and on the social scene.
Some of these friendships will carry you through the rest of your life, while others will peter out and come to a natural end. Most importantly, the things you learn about friendship in your 20s will help your friendships thrive and grow as you head into your 30s and beyond.
Quality is more important than quantity
In your school days it was all about how many friends you had – after all, back in secondary school it really did feel like life was a popularity contest! As you advance throughout your 20s, you will realise that having a few dyed in the wool bosom pals beats having heaps of fair-weather friends.
Social media is not an accurate portrayal of real life
It can be so easy to scroll through endless social media posts and think hat you know exactly what is happening in someone’s life. After all, if your good girlfriend looks like she is having the time of her life after a break-up, maybe she doesn’t need you after all? Remember that even the most carefree-looking people on social media can be struggling in real life.
As you and your friends get married and have kids, things will change
It is no surprise that marriage and children change a person’s life, but you have no idea how much so until it happens to you –and you friends. While you might feel that you are ‘losing touch’ with some of your closest friends as they procreate, remember that turning up to cuddle babies, do a load of washing up, and cook a meal will really help them out. As their wee ones get a bit older, your friendships will be even richer than ever before.
We all grow and change
As you traverse the decade of your 20s, you might share the desire to head to the club and get pizza with your closest circle of friends. You might all be into wild partying, and that bonds you as a cohort. However, as you age through your 20s, you priorities – and interests – will change. Some of your friends will grow and change right alongside you, and others will head in different directions.
You can – and should – cut toxic people out of your life
You might spend a lot of your 20s trying to please all of your friends and stay in their good graces, but there should come a time that you realise it isn’t worth hanging onto toxic friendships. Anyone who belittles you, second guesses you, or just generally makes you feel bad isn’t worth having in your life.
