9 Tiny Gestures To Let Your BFF Know You Love Them

Maybe you've known your best friend since you were in diapers, maybe you only met last year, but one thing is fo' sho: if you're at mutual bestie status, you love the sh*t out of each other. Your bestie means the world to you ... the world is a better place because your bestie's in it. Once you realize your friendship has the depth and longevity to be on that bestie level, there's no turning back. Being a best friend is both a privilege and a responsibility — for both parties. There are standards to meet and expectations to exceed!

And while you might think that it's obvious that your bestie knows how much you love them (how could they not know they're the sun in your sky?), a little direct validation and affirmation can go along way. It can never hurt to take the time to let someone know how much they mean to you and open up that channel for vulnerable and expressive communication. Someone's gotta do it, right? Why not you?

In the spirit of the beginning of the year's most lovely month, here are nine small gestures you can do to let your bestie know that you love them today:

Home Cooked Meal

Invite your bestie over for some homemade dinner. Sometimes restaurant plans can be hard to coordinate and you shouldn't have to cash out a quarter of your pay check just to get some bestie time in. Boil up some pasta, grab a bottle of wine and treat your bestie to a stress-free Italian night in.

This Link Made Me Think Of You

People send each other links all day. Take the time to find something that's personally relevant to you and your bestie. Think about the types of things that might enrich your bestie's day and send those along with a little message letting them know that it's just for their enjoyment, you're not including them in some puppy video spam that's going out to all of your contacts.

Need Anything?

The next time you're out and about, shopping somewhere cool, take the time to text your bestie and ask them if there's anything they might need.

Mixtape

OK, the days of making driving mixes for your bestie might be over, but when you find a jam you really like, send your bestie the link. Sharing music is such a simple way to communicate without words.

Book Rec

Just in general, you should be at least mildly aware of your bestie's major interests so that if you hear about something that pertains to one them, you can share the information. Is your bestie super into romance novels? Let them know when you hear about a new one!

Pick Up The Phone

Texting is a great way to stay in touch, but short of hanging out in person, there's nothing like talking on the phone. Use the time you'd usually spend listening to music or zoning out to give your bestie a call. Think about all the 20 minute walks to work and hour long drives you take that you could be using to catch up with. You've got much more time to talk on the phone than you think you do.

Use Your Words

Make sure that when you do text, you take advantage of it. Let your bestie know when you're thinking of them, let them know when something reminds you of them. Ask them how work is going, ask them if they slept okay, make use of the open channel you have to talk about them more than you talk about you.

Grab One Extra On The Way

Going to meet your bestie, but stopping to grab a coffee or water or cookie on the way? Grab an extra one for your bestie. The best gifts are the unexpected little gifts that they didn't know they needed.

Practice Empathy

When your bestie is telling you about something they're struggling with — whether it's a bad day at work or some serious family drama, try your best to be empathetic, rather than sympathetic. You don't need to have the answers to solve the problem, you just need to have open ears and an open heart. Don't tell your bestie things like "I'm sorry that this is happening, but at least you have [this, that, or the other thing]" — that's not empathetic. The empathetic thing to do is either say nothing and give a hug, or say "I'm sorry that you're going through this, I'm here for you."

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