Sometimes The Strong Friend Needs A Shoulder To Lean On Too
Strong people need more support than the average person.
Iryna Inshyna / Shutterstock By Jessica Niziolek
For a long time, strength has always been seen as having the supernatural ability to be the ultimate superhero of your life. Juggling all of life’s responsibilities; all the while always coming out on top without a single hair out of place.
And let’s not forget that megawatt smile you’re always so ready to show off at the drop of the hat. You’re that friend that's always the life of the party, the go-getter, the one person who never disappoints.
But what your circle may not know is that being the strong friend is often mistaken as the friend that does not need anyone to support them in return. That is absolutely untrue.
Strong people need more support than the average person.
Why? Because strong people become accustomed to being alone, and doing all the heavy lifting on their own.
But typically, when you are trying to balance it all, you end up collapsing under the pressure reminding you that you aren’t a superhero, but rather simply human.
And realizing that does not make you any less of a human or a failure. Putting your best foot forward for everyone else is honorable and decent.
Being the strong friend is not a bad thing. But it is a lonely road to be on by yourself.
If I can give one piece of advice to anyone reading this, it’s that your strong friend does need someone to lean on in return. Even if they say they don’t, they do.
Just make sure you remind them that they are appreciated by you. The simple gesture of appreciation can go a very long way.
Just because that strong friend seems okay without being acknowledged, does not mean you should be okay with not doing your part as their friend.
The Golden Rule: Treat people like you yourself would want to be treated.
The idea of friendship has changed so much over the decades, but one fact remains: no matter what role you play in someone's life, people need to know they are appreciated, and loved; people need to know that they are not alone in this world.
Being the strong friend doesn’t mean that they never need someone to simply pick up their cell and get a text that reads: “Hey, just checking in to see how you are. Coffee Tuesday?”
A strong friend could always use a friend that cares for them too. It shows the strong friend that is more than okay if you aren’t strong all the time.
It is a heavy burden carrying the world upon your shoulders all the time. And sometimes there comes a time when you have to put the world down for a while, and remember to take care of yourself.
Sometimes that strong friend could use a reminder. So be that friend to remind them that they matter too.
Jessica Niziolek is a writer, poet, and founder of the Abler Blog. She's a contributor to Thought Catalog, The Mighty, Medium, Unwritten, and more.