3 is a Lucky Number: Trio Friendship Works
I know a lot of you are in a trio friendship, which is a group of three best friends that are close and do stuff together. However, trio friendship has a bad reputation since not many people can endure watching their two best friends hanging out together without them. It’s painful, and it will make you a little jealous, especially if the two of them have little routines that do not include you. And it is one of the reasons why trio friendship does not always work.
Two-way, Four-way friendship? Trio friendship also works.
Other people may prefer two-way friendship or four-way friendships. It really works because nobody can get accidentally left out. But count us out! Shiela, Cath, and I are in a trio friendship, and we are held together by an understanding that it’s totally alright to hang out without the other one especially if one of us is busy. And I prefer it this way even though having them as my close friends doubles the energy and trouble, but it also provides me double happiness.
The three of us met when we were kids. Shiela and I have been best friends since diaper days, and we met Cath in fifth grade when she transferred to our school. At first, we were shy approaching the transferee kid because we were used to being just a duo or a “kambal-tuko” like what others called us when we were kids. However, we thought that being a group of three may be fun, so we became friends with her. And as time went by, we became too close and attached at the hips. 11 years of friendship, sounds good, right? It really is.
No one is better friend; they are both the best.
We do stuff as three. We dine out, we get drunk, we do silly things, we celebrate each other’s birthdays together. The three of us have so much shared history. And we hold and lead the group together as a trio, and no leader. However, as with every relationship, there are ups and downs. There were times when one of us felt jealous of the other or unsure of our place in the friendship. One of us even called herself, “Salingkit-kit,” but of course, she is NOT. We are a group of three beautiful ladies, and no one is better friend; they are both the best for me. They are two of the best people I know.
When we fight, we communicate.
Misunderstanding, jealousy, quarrels, or to feel like a third wheel are inevitable when you are in a trio friendship. But why does our friendship work? It’s because despite all those inevitable feelings, we always come back to each other; we understand each other. When we fight, we communicate. We tell our insecurities, where the jealousy starts, and all the ugly feelings. We are very transparent, and we communicate clearly. And maybe that is the reason why we have a very strong bond that no one or nothing can ever break.
In a trio friendship, you have to be mature. You have to accept the bonds that the others have and just be confident in the bonds you share with them. Trio friendship cannot be perfect. But as long as you treat and love each other equally like equal thirds of a whole, your friendship will never go wrong.
Friendship is not about how many people make the group; it is the people themselves.
For Shiela, Cath, and I, friendship is not about how many people make the group, it is the people themselves. If you think the people in your circle are in perfect balance in terms of understanding and respecting each other, then you have a good friendship regardless of number. We also have different ways or approaches to make the group of three besties work. But I am here to say, together with my two best friends, that three is a lucky number and trio friendship works.
If you have your own trio friendship story— may it be a happy and strong friendship or a failed one— feel free to share them in the comment section!
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