Four-Leaf Clovers

Did you know that according to Irish tradition, those who find a four-leaf clover are destined for good luck? Supposedly, each leaf in the clover symbolizes good omens for faith, hope, love, and luck.

I too found my very own four-leaf clover. Actually, not just one clover. I found five! Let me rephrase that. I found a four-leaf clover in five different people. Five very special people.

I’m sure you’ve heard of this very popular quote; A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.

And to me, those five friends are my very own four-leaf clovers. When I met each of them at different stages of my life, I honestly didn’t know what they’d come to mean to me and how much of a difference they’d make in my life. I owe a part of who I am today…to them. I also owe how weird I am today to them (lol).

I met three of my best friends when I was only six years old. Can you believe that? We practically grew up together.

The first of them was actually my first friend when I joined a new school in the 1st grade. She was so confident, so undaunted and so full of life. She knew how to make life tap according to her beats. And she’s the one who taught me how to live life in the loopiest, craziest way ever. She’s that person who comes like a storm into your life and sticks to you like a leech, never planning to leave. When we were younger and I was a bit more of an introvert, she’d be the person to stand up to bullies or anyone who tried to lift a finger against me. Before I could even open my mouth, she’d already be by my side, shutting them up. She was also that friend who I could run to after an exam to laugh (and cry) about my marks with. She did and always has known how to make any tense situation seem lighter and better.

My other best friend who I also met when I was six years old, taught me how to be kind. How to feel gratitude for the things we have, how to appreciate others, how to be compassionate, and most importantly, how to forgive. You can call her the ‘moral compass of my life. She’d always tell me when I wasn’t doing something right (and very bluntly she’d tell me lol). She was the one who inspired me to be…righteous I guess. Her integrity and level-headed approach to life have always been something I aspire to carry with me everywhere I go.

My third best friend, who I also met in the 1st grade, taught me how to be strong. Well not taught. She showed it. Her beauty was in her strength. The way she’d stand up for herself, the way she’d say what was on her mind, the way she’d stand up to people who were being mean to her really inspired me. She wasn’t the kind to take bullshit…from anyone. I’ve never seen anyone as strong as she is. She’s a force of nature. She came into my life like a force. A force I haven’t been able to get rid of at all. She always says things like it is. If ‘real-talk’ was a person, it would definitely be her. She is someone I know I can depend on because of how genuine and real she is.

I then went on to meet my other best friend when I was 10 years old. She was one of the most whacko, quirky people I had met in my life. She gave zero fucks about others and did things that she wanted to. She was so down-to-earth and so unafraid to live life on her own terms. And for a fourth-grader girl, amidst all the classroom politics, crushes, and judgments, that speaks volumes! She’s that girl you see in movies who’ll befriend the student who nobody wants to talk to because they’re not socially acceptable. She’s Abby Hanover from Mean Girls 2, Christine from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Phoebe Buffay from Friends. And she taught me how to live life on my own terms in the most freeing way possible.

I met my fifth and last best friend when I was twelve years old. When I first met her, I didn’t think we’d be best friends. Heck, not even close friends. But as time went by, I started to get a glimpse of what was behind that shy exterior of hers. She was so sweet, so calm and so positive. She was the calm amidst the chaos. She was also kind of my inner conscience. And without her, I don’t know how I would’ve survived school…or just life in general. She’s that friend you copy homework from, the friend who’ll lend you stationery right before an exam because you forgot yours and, she’s also the one to take the blame for something you did. Her kindness and amiability are two of my favorite qualities that I hope to carry with me all the way.

Many people wonder how one person can have five best friends. It’s not impossible. It’s the most amazing thing to have five people who are like your second family. We’ve all been through some crazy stuff, but if we didn’t have each other, I don’t know how life would’ve been. Boring, perhaps?

You don’t want to have a best friend because you’re supposed to, because it’ll make you feel cool or because people will judge you if you don’t. That’s all okay. You want to have a best friend who you can rely on, who you can do your weird laugh in front of, who you can talk to about the things you like. You want to have a best friend who’ll help make hard times easier and scary times seem not so scary. You want to have a best friend with whom you can experience this absolutely crazy world, after all, who else do you plan on doing it with? Make friends who you connect with. Who you can do alllll these things with.

This post wasn’t much more than a cheer to my best friends. A part of my family. The biggest weirdos I have ever come across. My very own four-leaf clovers! 🥰

Hope you liked this one!
~Starry thoughts.