Invisible Strings and Dorotheas

In our lifetime, we meet a handful of people. We cross paths with strangers who eventually become our walking human diaries, our partners in crime, our comrades, and our chosen families. No matter how short or long the moments we have shared with these people, a part of who they are will always remain with us– eventually becoming a part of who we are. Human connection and friendships are so beautiful. I firmly believe we don’t meet people just by accident. Our relationships with the people we have in our lives were all written in the stars. We all met because the universe willed for it to happen.

My friendship with women had taught me almost everything I know about love. They’ve shown me that love can be as grand as surprising you with a bouquet of flowers and a box of pastries on your birthday, as mundane as sending each other a hundred TikTok videos daily, or simply catching up over text. These people were once just strangers. I didn’t know their childhood nicknames, favorite movies, first pet, or place they grew up in. But now, I know them even more than I know myself and vice versa. At this point, they can produce a documentary or write a book about me and my life. These people have seen me go through different haircuts and hair colors; they’ve heard my various explosive laughs; they’ve seen me full-on ugly crying with snot coming out of my nose because of how hurt or sad I felt; they’ve seen me at my happiest moments, clapped for me the loudest and celebrated with me the proudest. I’m only eighteen, but when shared with the right people, time becomes funny. It feels as if I’ve known these girls since— that if the idea of having a “past life” is objective, I’ve definitely known them there, too. In a parallel universe, one way or another, I’m confident we’ll always find a way to grow close to a certain degree.

It wasn’t always easy for me to make friends growing up. I’ve had my fair share of experiences with betrayal and people who claimed to be my safe spaces but ended up putting me in dangerous situations. With these experiences, at some point, I thought, “𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨.” Because for the longest time, I have attracted red flags into my life (it’s an ongoing mystery).

This theory went viral on TikTok for a while about having seven specific kinds of friends in one’s life: a friend you’ve had since you were little, a friend that can make you laugh at any situation, a friend you can go on forever without talking to but nothing changes, a friend you can tell anything to, a friend that’s like a sister, a friend you can’t imagine not being friends with, and a friend that knows all about your problems.

Luckily, despite a few bad experiences, I was fortunate to have found these in so many of my precious girls— not just seven.

I’ve got a friend I’ve had since I was little. A constant and consistent presence in my life since elementary. She holds the kindest, most tender heart and the brightest soul I’ve crossed paths with. The person who knows me from the inside out. The person whom I have been building dreams with for fourteen years now.

I’ve got a friend who can make me laugh in any situation, and I mean this literally. Even at my lowest points, when my eyes have failed to stop crying, and my heart doesn’t stop aching, she’s a ray of sunshine that instantly brights up everything that was once devoid of light.

I have friends I can go on forever without talking to, but nothing changes; proof that no matter how much time passes, we can easily pick up where we left off without effort. If anything, we only grow closer and our bonds stronger than ever.

I made a friend to whom I could tell anything, the type who would drop everything with just a simple “Hey, can I rant?”. She’s that selfless and generous. She’d go to the end of the world if it meant making you feel better.

I’ve got this friend who is like a sister (sometimes a mother). Some days, she reprimands me worse than my biological mom, and most days, a big sister who will tease me endlessly but will always be the one to stand in front of the bad guys, protecting me from anything that she knows will only do me harm. The friend that will knock sense into my brain and tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to. I sometimes hate how she’s always right about everything she tries to warn me about.

I’ve got friends I can’t and won’t ever want to imagine not being friends with. People who I never thought I’d tell stories about my childhood or most profound secrets. Friends that will, without me saying anything, come knocking on my doorstep and be there for me when I need them most. The girls who became more reasons why my life is as colorful and vibrant as it is.

I’ve made friends with people who tirelessly and sincerely listen to my quibbles and anecdotes, no matter how repetitive they may be.

Sometimes, I question, what’s the point of all this? What’s the point in love when you almost always end up hurting? But then, I take one look at these people, and suddenly, I know it’s because I’d love to share more of life’s prosaic and prodigious moments with them, to do life, and build a life with them by my side.

Written by Lexine Cruz

Pubmat by Raiza Feria