It’s been twenty-five years since ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’ first premiered on NBC. The American sitcom revolves around six friends living in Manhattan, New York City – each character being different yet finding comfort in one another.
The show was a huge success because viewers could easily relate to each character as an extension of their own personalities. Above all, it was much more than just a regular sitcom. It offered viewers a shoulder to cry on, a good laugh and valuable life lessons.
We list down 3 key ingredients for a lasting friendship according to these six F.R.I.E.N.D.S!
1. Always be there for each other
Source: Weheartit.com
This may sound cliché, yet being a good friend means being present in your friend’s life – in good and bad times.
Take Chandler and Joey’s friendship for example, where we often find Chandler going out of his way to help Joey, a struggling actor. Also, Chandler was instrumental in making Joey fulfill his dream of becoming an actor.
Source: gfycat.com
When Joey had to practice for an audition, Chandler was there to go through the script with him. Given Joey’s financial state, Chandler knew it was difficult for him to pay for certain things and volunteered to pay for Joey’s headshots and rent. Chandler even went to the extent of saving a room for him in his new house.
It all paid off when Joey finally scored a role and invited Chandler to the premiere as a token of appreciation.
2. Forgiveness is essential
Source: wearemarvellous.com
Nobody is perfect and that includes your best friends. As humans, we are bound to make mistakes. Friendships are no exception but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. Part and parcel of any friendship is accepting the fact that your friend isn’t perfect.
At some point in time, a friend may end up pushing your buttons or even offend you. It may be difficult to forgive them yet choose to love them anyway. As the saying goes, ‘to err is human, to forgive is divine’.
Monica and Rachel share a close friendship. In fact, the two have known each other since they were in school. Throughout their friendship, they have had many countless arguments and disagreements, including the time they fought over the fact that they dated each other’s love interest!
When the ladies met Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rachel seized the opportunity to ask him out on a date. This obviously didn’t sit well with Monica. They both got into a big fight (Boy, it wasn’t pretty!) However, the two were soon realised that their friendship was way more important. They patched up and decided not to repeat the same mistake again.
3. True friendship is about acceptance
Source: Metro
“A friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself”- Jim Morrison.
A healthy friendship is one where both parties feel safe to be themselves. A true friend accepts you for who you are. They don’t expect you to put on a front for the sake of pleasing them.
In the episode The One With The Thumb, the gang is angered by Chandler’s smoking habits. They insist that he stops smoking as it is bad for his health. However, Chandler gets mad and points out how he accepted each of their flaws. While it gets on his nerves at times, Chandler has come to learn and love his friends for their quirky habits.
Even Monica’s OCD-ness was something she soon began to appreciate about herself, thanks to her friends!
Thank you, F. R. I. E. N.D.S for teaching us some amazing lessons about friendship!
*Featured image sourced from news.avclub.com
