Cocktail is one of my favourite watches of all time, to the point that it’s not even a guilty pleasure anymore. From Veronica’s badass self to Meera’s bechari naari turned into a red flag, the movie had quite a few lessons. It’s completing 12 years on July 13, and we need to talk about how it showcased the importance of female friendships. And we can all agree they are anything but easy to maintain. As an adult, aligning my schedule to find a date with my girls seems like a huge task. But seeing them after days, weeks, and even months fills me with immense joy and warmth. After all, venting your heart out, discussing people, and having amazing food and drinks will do it for everyone.

It’s 2024, folks. It’s time to be a better friend. Better yet, it’s time to preach being a Veronica to your girls, not a Meera. Here are all the lessons from Cocktail that we should learn and implement to be a better BFF.

Don’t steal your girlfriend’s partner

Lesson 101 from Cocktail is that stealing your girlfriend’s boyfriend is the forbidden rule of female friendships. You can have the same taste in men, but don’t try to woo her partner behind her back in the name of being friendly. Discuss beforehand how comfortable your friend is with you being friends with their partner and act accordingly. And don’t ever snitch on your girl to their partner under any circumstance, because as we all know, snitches get stitches.

Always show up for your girls

Be it through a text, a call, or a meetup, if your girl is in a crisis or going through their third breakup of the month, you gotta show up, always. You know they will be there for you at the drop of a hat, so you should do the same. I understand you might not always have the bandwidth to go the extra mile, considering you have a lot on your plate. But the smallest gestures like a supportive text, a quick call, sending relatable memes, or a coffee catch-up make it easy to keep the relationship going smoothly.

Sometimes, you need to distance yourself

One of the most important lessons from Cocktail I have taken away is that you need boundaries, even in the closest of relationships, to keep yourself sane. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup, and if a friend expects things from you all the time, even when they know you’re running a little low, you need to get some distance. It’s alright to step back when the friendship isn’t allowing you your space and time. Go back to it once you know you can deal with them. Don’t be a bitch and ghost them, though. We don’t do that here.

Be their cheerleader selflessly

If there is something that can bring any relationship to its knees and break it off, it is jealousy. Yeah, girls. It’s 2024. If you can’t be happy for them without always comparing yourselves, maybe you need to let go. It’s okay to cut them off when you know it’s not aligning with you anymore. There doesn’t have to be any bad blood. You can simply let them know your reasons and hope they understand. The only friendships that will survive are the ones where you are happy for each other and are each other’s cheerleaders selflessly.

Understand that priorities change, and it’s alright

Constantly asking your friends if you make it to their top five list is a little childish, love. You aren’t in college anymore, you aren’t seeing each other every day, and you might not be each other’s number one priority. But if your friend makes you feel seen and heard and is always there for you, no matter what, she is a keeper. Sure, their priorities might differ at every stage of life, and they might not always be available, and it’ll be the same for you. But if they show up when it matters the most, you need to understand their perspective and support them.

So, keep your girls close because nobody knows you like she knows you, and you need that kinda support at 3 pm on a Wednesday if you want to day drink.

Featured Image Source

Related: Is Your Bestie A Walking Red Flag? 8 Signs You’re In A Toxic Friendship