She’s been there through the rockiest ups and downs of your life, ready to help in any way she can. She is always there when you need her. Yet the only time you ever send her a card is on her birthday (and then it’s to make fun of the fact that she’s always going to be eight months older than you), and the last time she received a gift “just because” was the time that weird guy from the bar kept sending her flowers for no reason. Wouldn’t she just flip out if you picked up that shirt she was eyeballing at the mall, but would never buy for herself? Although really nice, it isn’t necessary to spend a lot of money in order to show a friend that you appreciate her presence in your life. Do something sentimental, like compiling photos and memories of the two of you into a scrapbook. Or simply tell her out of the blue, “I’m so lucky to have a friend like you.” Or serenade her with the theme song to “The Golden Girls” … thank you for being a friend, traveled down the road and back again.
Laziness
Is your friend the one that’s always doing the pursuing? Check your cell phone: does her number appear more times as an incoming call than an outgoing one? Is she the one to set up lunch dates, to call and ask if you want to go out, and to invite you over? If so, you’re being a lazy friend. Nobody likes to put all their energy into maintaining a friendship when the other half is lackadaisical at best. There should be equal parts of effort: don’t let her take care of everything. You call. You arrange an outing. It’ll make her – and you friendship – feel more valued.