8 Ideas for Celebrating Your Friendship

If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught us (me, it’s taught me), it’s how important friendships are. Good friendships. The kind that maybe don’t come around all that often, and that are worth fighting for (or maybe even going to therapy for).

I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of Frexits over the years (that’s where you lose friends with little or no explanation or closure). But in this Year of Our Lord 2021, I am determined to celebrate the friendships I have. Right here. Right now.

You too? Here are some sweet ideas for us:

1. Write a Poem (or Make a List)

...about your friend or about your friendship. Haikus are fun and easy. Not a poet? Make a list of ten things you love about your friend, some funny and surfacy, some deep and thoughtful and serious.

Photo by fotografierende

2. Send a Gift

There are so many ways you could go here:

• A gift set
• Warm cookies (delivered)
• A Starbucks gift card via email that’s just the right amount for a coffee + bacon gouda breakfast sandwich
• Flowers
• Something small they wouldn’t buy for themselves (once, when I was pregnant and craving peanut M&Ms, my friend mailed me a giant bag of M&Ms and I died from happiness)
• Something big they wouldn’t buy for themselves
• A grown up friendship bracelet
• A grown up Ding Dong Ditch, where you ring the doorbell and dash before they open it, but you’ve left a gift on the doorstep before the dash

Photo by Jessie Daniella

3. Binge Watch a Show Together (Virtually)

My best friend and I are (re) watching Gilmore Girls together (we’re on season six), and I won’t spoil it in case you STILL haven’t seen it, but our text looks like this right now:

“I hate season 6 Rory but I love her hair.”

“Madeleine Albright?!?!”

“OMG JESS!!!!”

“Vodka tonic. No ice and light on the tonic.”

“Well if you expect that muffin to fly back to the kitchen you better get it a cape.”

It’s just...fun, and so sweet to feel so together in our everyday life.

Photo by Ariam Dato-on

4. Send a Secret Gift or Note

This is kind of like being your friend’s secret admirer. But better!

5. Throw a Zoom PowerPoint Party

I keep seeing these around the internet, and they look so FUN! The gist is: everybody creates a short PowerPoint on something random/fun/weird/silly/whatever. If you wanted to be totally on-brand for a friendship celebration, you could make a set of slides on why your friend is so awesome!

6. Learn Something Together

Learn something together or start something together (fun ideas here, learn how to do facial massage, do some introspective journaling together, or try a new yoga routine together.

7. Learn Each Other’s Love Languages

Are you words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, receiving gifts, or quality time? Take the quiz/conversation and let the deep conversation commence! (For a lighter, more irreverent tone, you could do a BuzzFeed quiz together.)

8. Just Tell Them What They Mean to You

Sometimes the best ways to celebrate a friendship are the simplest, and while I highly recommend a beautiful greeting card, a text is also lovely.

Sarah Guerrero

Sarah Guerrero is a freelance writer and contributor to Slow North. She has a degree in international business from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and writes about sustainable business practices and ethical living.