PHOTO: ISTOCK
See the other person’s
diferences as a way to balance
your own personality“It helps that we both evolved and
became educated over the 21 years
of being friends since university,”
shares Max Zaslavsky. “But we ac-
cept our personality differences as
things that balance us out. He is
the only person allowed to call my
mum ‘Ma’ besides me. When my
parents almost died in a car acci-
dent in 1998, he and his now ex-wife
rushed to be with me and help take
care of my folks who were both in
different hospitals. When I gradu-
ated in 2004, he got my 83-year-old
father, who was battling cancer, in
and out of a wheelchair so he could
see me walk.”Just keep calling, even if
there’s nothing to really say
Nicki Bandklayder’s 20-plus-year
friendships are going strong be-
cause she’s always eager to get on
the phone. “Pick up the phone justHonesty is always the
best policy
Heather Hopkins credits her decades-
long best friendship (and that’s say-
ing a lot because she’s only in her
30s) to her commitment to honesty.
“Never be scared to tell your best
friends how you are really feeling
about any situation. A true friend
will always appreciate and be grate-
ful for honesty, even in the stickiest
of situations. If your real friends
can’t be honest and truthful, do you
think the transients and acquaint-
ances in your life will be?”Always assume the best
“Assume that everything they do
is with good intentions, even when
that assumption seems unreal,” ex-
plains Yael Lustmann, a mum in
her 40s who has managed to make
her best friendship last for around
30 years (and counting!). She adds
that laughing of the bad stuf is a big
help, too, and admits that she picked
a sort of “wild and crazy guy” to be
best friends with.he keys to maintaining strong, long-term friendships
often take a lifetime to learn. We asked some of the
longest-lasting duos (and trios!) how they’ve managed
to make their bonds unbreakable.RELATIONSHIPSJune• 2018 | 97