True meanings behind friendship bracelets

“A true friend is the best possession,”-Benjamin Franklin 

The people one chooses to surround themselves with become the basis of their life. A mother teaches her daughter to brush her hair from the ends to the roots, a father shows his son how to shuck corn and a best friend gives a lesson on how to dance. Though it may not be obvious at the time, even the smallest of characteristics are passed on from person to person, weaving their way into a person’s life. When it comes to love and friendship, weaving a bracelet stands the test of time. It becomes a representation of the feelings that one may have for another person, and they can literally wear their heart on their sleeve. Friendship bracelets and the act of creating one symbolizes feelings that are not able to be put into words and creates an unbreakable bond between the creator and the recipient.  

My mother gifted me a large bag of friendship bracelet string before I knew how to appreciate it. I would always start one of the patterns but soon pause my task and braid the rest. It was far too monotonous when I could have been doing more exciting activities. Many years later, I rediscovered the bag of string and decided to give it another chance; it was summer and spending my days melting into my mattress while consuming episode after episode of a teen drama did not seem like a productive way to use my time. Retrying this hobby was difficult, but, older and wiser, I found a connection with what I was doing. Soon, I spent every day bent over my bracelets, creating one intricate pattern after another. I made one for each of my friends. The bracelets had corresponding colors: my favorite and their favorite. After creating nearly fifteen friendship bracelets over the summer, I had found my new calling.  

My friends were delighted when I gifted them these new treasures. The bracelet represented our love and served as a reminder of how close we were. Many of them wore those bracelets until they would fall off their arm from water damage and grime. I, myself, would save every single one, as I could not bear to part with such an important object.  

The most impactful friendship bracelet I ever crafted was for my middle school best friend, Josephine. She was moving to a new state at the end of the summer, and I knew that I had to create something one-of-a-kind. I spent the entire three months working and planning the bracelet, and finally, I gifted it to her. This moment was when I knew that my world would change forever. Once attached at the hip, we were soon going to be a thousand miles from one another. So, the bracelet was a reminder to her of every late night we spent whispering in the dark, every text message and phone call, and of all the time we spent exploring the world around us. In that moment, I understood that our friendship would diminish over time, like the bracelet, but in our minds and heart, it would always be there.  

The friendship bracelet may look like a drab piece of jewelry, but the stories and people associated with them are what makes them so special. Being able to create a piece of art that one can carry with them is a privilege. Friends and family are woven into our lives, and the bracelet is a representation of the human connection and love that we share.