It's hard to navigate the transition to adulthood within friendship—but one friend group has gone above and beyond.
A video posted on TikTok by Danielle Mehlmann (@dandanidanielle_) has gone viral after showing a childhood friendship group's tradition: a yearly gathering involving the five men's families. Mehlmann, 22, spoke with Newsweek about growing up with the family friends and the bond they have developed over the years. Since she posted the video on June 24, it has received more than 8 million views and 1.6 million likes.
"What started with five childhood friends is now five families that all spend a weekend at the lake together every year," Mehlmann wrote in the video's caption.
Mehlmann is a daughter of one of the five men, who grew up together in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Three of the five men have been friends since kindergarten, and the other two were "added" in high school, she said. Since then, they've been inseparable.
"The five of them have been by each other's side through all of life's roller coasters. Their friendship has been thriving for around 50 years," Mehlmann said, adding, "Not only are the husbands friends since young, but two of the wives were high school best friends, and one of the other wives is the younger sister of one of those wives."
The total number of people at the lake each year is now in the 20s. The five families have 18 children between them, and at one point, all five of the men's wives were pregnant at the same time—Mehlmann was one of the set born that year.
"I have 17 built-in best friends for life," she said.
Their Friendship Continues to Grow
Mehlmann said that the family's presence in her life has been constant since she was born—and that their time together is truly intergenerational, with story-swapping and play at the center.
"From water balloon fights and playing in the waves at the Outer Banks, to late nights hearing about our dads' stories from growing up while down at the Jersey Shore, to a weekend at the lake every year to catch up, we continue to see each other all the time," she said. "I grew up with all these families playing sports in our youths, going to rivalry high schools and hanging out during family gatherings."
While these scenes sound idyllic, Mehlmann said the 20-plus friends turned family have seen each other through life's trials as well.
"Life hasn't always been a bright, sunny day on the lake," she said. "We have also stuck by each other through some of the toughest times. These five men were so lucky to find each other and stick with each other through thick and thin."
Mehlmann added, "I know that through all the tears and laughter we have endured together, that anyone in this 'family' would be there to support me at any moment I would need."
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