Throughout our lives, we experience a rollercoaster ride of joys and sadness. Sometimes, we need to free our hearts and minds of our innermost thoughts. Some turn to God, others to family or a marriage mate, still others to close friends. Some use all three avenues. But when it comes to friendship, there is one very special person who is few and far between, one who is greater than a close friend. This person is an anam cara.
Meaning: a soulmate, but in a deeper sense; a person with whom you can freely share your deepest thoughts, concerns, and memories without fear of judgement and who can be trusted with the secrets kept behind the normal social wall around your mind and heart.
Origin: an Anglicisation of the Celtic word anamchara, meaning “soul friend”. According to Celtic history, an anam cara was originally a teacher and/or spiritual guide, one with whom you could divulge your hidden secrets and discover your own true self. The phrase now applies in a less spiritual form, but has not lost any of its deep, meaningful application. Many people believe that an anam cara is the one you choose to marry, and rightly so. The phrase denotes such a close bond that it truly belongs in a marriage. However, an anam cara need not be limited to a marital union. In fact, many deep friendships are purely non-romantic.
Example: At last, she found her anam cara, the only one who could truly understand her.
It can be difficult to explain such a deep and beautiful concept as anam cara in such a short post. If you would like more information, be sure to check out this article from brainpickings.org. That being said, I think even despite the brevity of this A Word on Vocabulary post, readers will understand the difference between a “friend” and an anam cara. Brigid of Kildare is reported to have said: “A person without anam cara is like a body without a head.” Whoever your anam cara is, make sure you cherish that special friendship. And if you find yourself to be someone’s anam cara, remember to be so with the utmost integrity and compassion.