Ok, so this sounds like a weird blog post. Strange title, and all. I know. But bear with me, hear me out, because I bet a lot of you ladies – and men, for that matter – will be in the same boat. Just a few hundred words in, and you’ll be considering whether Carol is an dark oak console table, I promise you.

I just want us to think how much time we invest into our homes. Sure, you may not be the obsessive type who hoovers five times a day and always keeps an immaculate home, but once you own your own place, we all become a little more house proud.

We care how things look, we want it to be as perfect as can be. We design the décor, we take care selecting colours, we choose furniture that is built to last.

We ditch the convenience of the cheap flat-packs and opt for pieces from higher end retailers such as Cox and Cox because you can rely on it, it’s going to do you good. It’s not going to bend and bow, and it certainly isn’t going to fall apart when you use it to support your stuff.

Can the same be said for your friends, and likewise, could your friends say the same of you?

As we get older, it becomes harder to make new friends. Friendship circles tend to grow smaller. We all go off, get married, have children, build our careers. There tends to be less and less time to fit in friendship. The flat-pack friends are the first to buckle under the pressure, and that’s when you realise who your solid friends are.

When you’ve less time for gossip and trivialities, as adults we start to realise whose company we truly cherish. Who we would do anything for. Who would do anything for us. Who is going to bear the weight of our problems in the tough times, and who we will do the same for when the tables turn.

After all, we choose furniture that is comfortable and makes us happy, and so surely our friends should be chosen in the same way?

While we realise these things, it’s important to make time to care for these relationships. Go for a coffee, share a bottle of wine over a home-cooked dinner, take the kids on a playdate.

And I guess that’s food for thought.

While it’s trusty and always there when you need it, you must care for your favourite oak cabinet. Dust it, polish it. Don’t overcrowd it with your clutter, without being willing to take some of that away again to see it gleam. In the same way, although our dependable friends may always be there, we must make time for them too.

Choose wisely and nurture the friendship. Invest in friendships that are built to last and care for them for years to come.

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