Growing up, I always thought a “friend” simply meant someone who stayed with you in good times and bad. But as I got older, I realized there are different types of friends. Some friendships last, some don’t—and that’s something I’ve often talked about in my podcast episodes about friendship and growing up.

But in this episode, something felt different. I realized how great friendship truly is. That even in friendships, just like any relationship, you want to keep the ones that feel safe, warm, and real. You want them to last. You want them to be forever.

But how? Especially now, when it’s so easy to cut people off, walk away, or choose distance.

Here’s my story on how a friend of mine made me feel that our friendship matters—that it’s something worth choosing, nurturing, and keeping.