Of all the acquaintances and friendships you may collect over a lifetime, there is a title reserved for that one person you can count on, trust with your secrets and spend time doing fun things or nothing at all—a best friend. You have designated one individual out of more than seven billion people in the world as a best friend. There should be a holiday to honor and appreciate this gem of a companion to let them know how special and important they are to you. In fact, there is a day devoted to them–National Best Friends Day on June 8, 2017.

Best friends share and enhance life’s most important events, such as weddings, graduations and new careers. They help us get through the worst of times, including divorces, deaths and layoffs. Through all of these occasions, best friends are crucial to helping us maintain our mental and physical health. They are incredibly important to depend on to help us weather the storms of life.

So, don’t let National Best Friends Day pass by without calling, texting, sending a card—or a thousand ways of showing your gratitude for such a special person in your life.

Check out more reasons why it is important to celebrate a best friend on National Best Friends Day.

Comfort

A best friend is someone you don’t have to fill in the blanks with, because they already know the inner details of your life. Similar to picking up a book and finding exactly where you left off, you can cut to the chase and get to the “meat” of any discussion with the background information already stored away.

Connectedness

A most basic fear is of being alone. Whether a best friend is around the corner or on the other side of the globe, knowing that person is there provides comfort and a sense of being connected.

Unconditional Support

You haven’t brushed your hair, are wearing a pair of sweats that have seen better days and didn’t get a chance to put on any makeup when your best friend calls with a problem and needs to see you. You jump in the car just like you are, because best friends have seen us at our best and worst—and they love us the same. It is important to have someone in our lives we feel totally at ease with and can be ourselves around.

Extend Our Lives

People who have strong social networks are less likely to die prematurely compared to individuals who feel isolated and alone. Research has shown that having resilient social ties to other people can significantly extend a person’s life span.

Help Manage Stress

Strong and stable friendships help us to manage stress, which can have a profound impact on our physical health. If you know people will be at your side in times of strife, it can make a big difference when trying to manage the situation.

Self-Esteem Boost

Friends help us develop self-esteem. Having that someone in life who thinks we are important, asks our opinion about things and values our company makes us feel wanted, boosting self-esteem.

National Best Friend’s Day

Honest Opinions

Best friends, because they know you well and are able to tell it like it is, will be totally honest. When a friend looks you in the eye and suggests you think again about a possibly silly decision, they have your best interests at heart.

Fresh Perspective

Individuals have different experiences and opinions, and a best friend to share them with can help us learn new things about ourselves. They can open our eyes to new ideas, ways to think about the world and bring a fresh perspective to a problem. Things have a greater chance of changing when best friends help with the “A-ha!” moments that lead to problem-solving.

Life Lessons

When a close friend does something you disagree with, it is much more likely that you will confront them and discuss it than if it is a person you do not know as well. Getting through a tough time with a best friend helps prepare you for the other times in life when difficult situations arise.

Loyalty

Best friends mean never having to worry about someone spilling your secrets or talking about you behind your back. Building the friendship bond has made it stronger over time, and a loyal friend will be on your team no matter what. They will be honest with you, but they won’t betray you.

Personal Growth

Having a best friend means sharing different experiences. When we are in our own routines, it is refreshing to hear about what a close friend is doing. Sometimes it is fun to live vicariously through friends and learn things we may not have thought about doing. It may spur us to try a new hobby, learn a new skill or travel to a destination that was never on the radar.

Best Sounding Board

There are not many people you can share everything with. They are the people we can tell things we would not dare tell anybody else. whether it is our greatest fears or biggest mistakes. Being able to voice these intimate details about our lives helps to normalize whatever has occurred. Fear or discomfort is diffused when you share it with a friend.

Ways to Celebrate a Best Friend

There are plenty of ways to show a best friend how much they mean. Don’t let National Best Friends Day pass without letting this very special person know you are thinking of them and how invaluable they are in your life. Many of the things you can do cost nothing—or very little—and will last forever in their memory. The following are a few ideas to get started.

  • Write a note with silly jokes or sayings that will bring a smile.
  • At the next movie night, be ready with a queue of their favorite flicks.
  • Pick up a king-size bar of their favorite candy.
  • Accompany a friend to a meeting or club they are nervous about instead of letting them go alone.
  • If a friend says they are fine but you can tell that it is not the case, do not harp on it. Instead, do something fun that may get their mind off of things.
  • When a friend is ready to talk, listen to what they have to say—even if the subject is a problem between the two of you.
  • Offer to play a favorite game that a friend loves and you hate.
  • Support a friend by running lines for a drama audition, playing goalie before soccer tryouts or helping to study for final exams.
  • Don’t take a friend for granted. Whether they toss your trash at lunch or wait for you after school, say thank you.
  • There is nothing like a big hug to make a friend feel good, missed or “just because.”

Best Friend Quotes

“The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.”
— Hubert H. Humphrey

“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.”
— Henry Ford

“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.”
— Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”
— Tomas Aquinas

“Friends are the siblings God never gave us.”
— Mencius

“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.”
— Euripides

“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.”
— Khalil Gibran

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
— Helen Keller

“The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.”
— Ulysses S. Grant

“Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear, old friends.”
— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Friendship is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”
— Muhammad Ali

“Friends …they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams.”
— Henry David Thoreau

“Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend.”
— Bill Watterson

“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.”
— Jim Morrison