Some pals serve as excellent sounding boards for sage advice. Others just wanna have fun. Still others are your right arm or your been-there, done-that point of reference.
Why is it good to have an arsenal of different friend types in the little black book of your life? “Because no single friend can meet all your needs,” says Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making and Keeping Friends When You're Not a Kid Anymore.
Here, six friends you’d be lucky to have.
1. The Cheerleader
Who she is: Whether she’s an old pal or someone you just met, her hallmark is her glass-half-full outlook.
Why you need her: Who couldn't stand a little rah-rah from time to time? “This kind of friend is like a sunny spring day,” says Paul. “You feel lighter and happier being with her.” Not only can she bolster your mood, she’s also the one to nudge you toward something you want to try—applying for a new job, getting a new hairdo—that you might otherwise fear.
2. The Advice-Giver
Who she is: A colleague, a mentor, your mother—or just the smartest, most even-keeled person you've ever met—who’s the best advice-giver you know.
Why you need her: “She’s the wise one,” says Megan McMorris, editor of the essay collection P.S.: What I Didn't Say. “Nothing shocks or surprises her, and no matter what you come to her with, she won’t judge you.” Instead, she’ll be there for you—after the breakup, when you’re shopping for a new home—with steady, smart counsel.
3. The Oldest/Childhood Friend
Who she is: The one who’s known you since junior-high sleepovers, if not since you were both in diapers.
Why you need her: Quite simply, because she gets you. “You don’t have to explain yourself to your oldest friends,” says McMorris. She knows where and how you grew up, knows your parents and siblings, and gets the references to schoolteachers or hometown hangouts. Plus she tolerates your, shall we say, quirks, such as your frequent lateness or your sarcastic humor.
