Like chalk and cheese

Being so different can be positive, says Lisa Williams:

Friendship is a funny thing. The most unlikely sorts of people will find themselves somehow drawn together. When I first met Kirsty a year ago I'll admit I found her quite challenging. I'm fairly quiet, sensible, a little reserved and becoming set in my ways. I know what I like and I like what I know.

I'm a bespectacled, same-hairstyle-for-years, distant kind of girl. I keep myself to myself, I like quiet and this probably can come across possibly as a little serious, maybe moody and misunderstood. I can be detached but that's just my way.

Kirsty's the complete opposite to me. She's an eclectic, outgoing, tattooed, not-scared-to-try-any-look character. She's loud, outspoken, gregarious, sociable and funny. Kirsty is far more laid back and playful than me.

As with all relationships there were certain stages of getting to know each other. After a few weeks of pleasantries, both of our real personalities started to surface. There have been run-ins, there have been crossed words and occasional heated exchanges. They are few and far between but enough to know how different we are.

When it comes to arguments I'm not a sulker. I don't hold grudges I like to get things sorted out straight away but I think Kirsty likes to cool off first and can be a little bit stubborn if she's cross. But it's a good mix and I think it keeps us both on our toes.

So why does our friendship work? We are both very self aware and know how different we are. Because of this we absorb each other's traits.

I appreciate her the way she is and I like the way she can light up a room.

If I feel out of sorts, a simple conversation with Kirsty, usually loaded with nonsense, snaps me out of it. She makes me laugh and helps me realise I shouldn't take life so seriously.

She's tested my patience and tolerance as I'm sure I have her for different reasons but with a positive outcome as I can now take a deep breath, count to 10 and let it all wash over me instead of flying off the handle.

No one is perfect, we all have our opinions about people, that's life. But sometimes really taking the time to get to know someone can certainly change the way you feel about them.

It's easy to judge but when you delve a little deeper you can often see that there is a good heart among all the niggly things you gripe about. And that's certainly true when I think of Kirsty.

Our differences are our strengths, says Kirsty Bosley:

Paula Abdul had it right when she said opposites attract. Psychologists have found that those with different personalities make for the best friends. And in the case of me and my good pal Lisa, I'd have to agree.

I'm loud and extroverted, and she's more likely to keep herself to herself. I could talk the hind legs off a donkey, but Lisa is much more a listener, drinking in information quietly.

Even in our fashion tastes we are different. Lisa's is prettier, opting for flower prints, a complete juxtapose from my black band shirts.

When I stop and think, the things I love the most about my friend are the things I aspire to be myself. When someone is celebrating a birthday, a wedding, a new baby or a new house move, Lisa always remembers. I'm useless without my diary.

Lisa pays close attention to what people say – if they mention in passing weeks ago that they'd like something, she'll add it to her list of gift ideas. I, on the other hand, forget that I've ever spoken to them at all.

Of the two of us, she's the focused one. She'll probably say that she just likes to make lists, but I'd be inclined to say she's just one of the most thoughtful people I know.

At first, I mistook her organisation methods for criticism of my lackadaisical ones. Our friendship hasn't been effortless, and it's taken work on both of our parts to function. There have been times her frustration with me has been palpable, especially when I've been dragging my feet on something that she's keen to move along with. She loves planning ahead, and I deal only with the matter at hand. We can drive one another around the bend, really.

But at the heart of it all, the basic human elements are what I remember when I think of Lisa. Her consideration for other people, the way that she'll happily grab my hand as we run to the floor to boogie to Taylor Swift and how she'll give me a hug at the end of a busy week are just a few examples of the things I enjoy about our friendship. The more time we spend together, the more we learn how our differences can be our strength.

As I write this, I read it back and wonder what bits of it she'll hate. She's more likely to worry about the negative bits than I am. Sometimes I take two steps forward, and she'll take two steps back.

But we come together, 'cos opposites attract!