Who’s your Bestie?

Everyone has a best-friend, right? A friend that guides you, listens to you, and lends you a hand? They tells you the truth and lets you know how they feel. They help accentuate your strengths and support your goals in life. They stand by your side through thick or thin. What if I told you my best friend at a certain time in my life was not that at all?

I HAD a best-friend, his name was E.D.! He told me how I looked, held my hand through all my fears, and told me how I could live my life perfectly. He gave me “strength” and “hope” throughout my dark years. He was a “real” fashion designer too. He told me what to wear, how to wear it, and even was truthful when I looked too fat! He helped dictate my days by the number on the scale. He helped me count every calorie that went down my throat. He was a “true blue” friend, so I thought.

It took several years, a decade, to accept what a “true blue” friend meant to me. It took death knocking at my door, to realize that a “true blue” friend does not ultimately kill you. A real “true blue” friend accepts you for who you are, supports your life goals, and guides you through the maze of life. I did not find that in my toxic friend, E.D. (eating disorder)! He may of been there to lend a hand, to reinforce my demons in my head, but in no way, shape or form was my eating disorder a “true blue” friend to me I realized.

Who is a “true blue” friend to me? Who guides me, listens to me, and lends me their hand? Well, several people have impacted me throughout my years. There is one person that sticks out in my mind that exemplifies my best qualities, my Mom. She has always helped me along the way in my life. No matter what it was, there was a hand that reached out to help me over the cliff. Don’t get me wrong we had our differences in life at a younger age, but she never gave up on me. Perhaps, it was her silence, maybe it was her sternness, maybe it was her humor, maybe it was her love that helped to structure me throughout life. Whatever it may be, it always has helped guide me throughout the travails of life while I discover myself. So, thank you Mom for guiding me through life and standing by my side through the thick or thin.

May you all thank your best friends today for giving you light!

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About the author:

Ariane Theriault is a registered nurse at a Boston Hospital in the cardiology field. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree and graduated Magna Cum Laude for Nursing from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her favorite part of blogging for Walden is being able to help others and herself on her road to recovery from an eating disorder. She likes to give a fresh perspective on eating disorder related news in the media and on her own personal struggles, while relating them to others. Her passions range from gardening, writing, and advancing her career. She enjoys spending her time with her partner, family, friends and her two cats, Jaguar and Binks.