There is not yet a word for friendships that are more than just friendships. It is the most difficult word to explain or describe, so much so that when we are floating in this conceptual confusion, we search for other ways to describe the relationship, whether as siblings, ‘friend soulmates’ or as a ‘platonic relationship’. Or we say best friends, close friends, good friend or devoted friend, and any other adjective to heighten the value of the relationship rather than truly describe it. In Arabic, on the other hand, there are 12 levels of friendship expressed in the language. My favorite word is ‘Qareen’, which means someone who’s inseparable from you, to the extent that you know how they think. While ‘Qareen’ isn’t often used in everyday language, the idea of a friend being your spiritual double, or a constant companion throughout life, reflects the enduring affection and trust that exists between two friends that goes beyond the word ‘friendship’. Over the years, I’ve realized that friendship plays a much larger role in my life and in my identity than I knew or expected. It is probably much deeper, and…
