Dear Best Friend (my “Right-Hand Man”),

I did say I’d write you an essay about how great you are once my hand injury healed, and my hand is in good working order now! However, I recently took a killer midterm involving four essays (burnout much?), so I’ll change the style to a good old “listicle” (with memes!). Here goes!

1. You’re there for my bad moments as well as my good ones.

Schoolwork stress? No problem! Stomach acting up again? You know what to do. Panic attack over molecular orbitals? You can handle it. You never run away and I can consistently count on your (usually virtual) shoulder being there for me to lean on. And if you’re not there? “You’ll be back.”

2. You know how to calm me down and cheer me up.

It might be a ridiculous knock-knock joke, or a “Hamilton” reference, or maybe even a reminder to just let loose, “Take a Break”, and take care of myself, but you always have something up your sleeve for when the going gets tough.

3. You got me into “Hamilton”.

Seriously, I can never thank you enough for this one. I avoided getting on this bandwagon for at least a year, but when you started dropping references in our friend group’s Facebook chat last summer, I could no longer resist. I got the soundtrack going, and before long, I could not “say no to this”. I was “Helpless”-ly hooked. “Hamilton” is a beautiful, life-changing work of genius, but I would never have figured that out if it hadn’t been for you.

4. You listen.

I know I can always vent to you and, at the very least, you will hear me out, if not offer me some wise advice. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate feeling heard and being taken seriously.

5. You understand a lot of what I go through.

We have a lot of the same baggage, and while I wish neither of us had to deal with what we deal with, I can tell you have a heck of a lot of empathy and understanding that someone who has not dealt with anxiety/mental health issues couldn’t possibly possess.

6. You make me laugh.

Your bad jokes give me life, your “Hamilton” references never fail to bring a smile to my face, and you know how to bring just the right amount of dirty into our conversations.

7. You’re a baker, too.

You just about melted my heart when you told me you couldn’t talk on Father’s Day because you were busy making your dad a cheesecake. And I really appreciate you saving that Krispy Kreme donut cake mix for when I came over to your place, even though I’m not a huge donut person these days. It’s the thought that counts :)

8. You like dogs. You like my dog.

Any friend of my dog (and dogs in general) is a friend of mine. You get bonus points for referring to her as a “pupper”.

9. We can always geek out about theatre.

Naturally, we met through high school drama. I love how we have all these show moments to reminisce and laugh about—good, bad, and ugly.

10. You’re strong when I need you to be.

As cliché as it may sound, you really are my rock. Life isn’t easy, but I know you’ll always be there if I reach out a hand.

11. Playing Cards Against Humanity with you is always lit.

You have a dirty little mind. It’s effing beautiful.

12. We can bond over memes.

They’re so stupid, but I love them. I can tell you do, too. Whether it's that Bernie Sanders “scary socialism” meme or one from the good old “bork bork I am pupper” family, I know I can always drop one in our conversations and you’ll always appreciate it.

13. You’re really sweet and generous.

You sure do know how to compliment and encourage me, and you give me the cutest gifts. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you passing your rainbow duct tape headband on to me. Your little stuffed tropical fish? I named it Ellis, and it’s an amazing stress toy. And I still can’t wrap my head around the perfection of the time when you said something like “I thought you’d like this, especially going into the medical field” and handed me a desk plaque that said “Be Reasonable—DO IT MY WAY”.

14. You’re my biggest cheerleader.

You support me in both my wildest dreams and my mundane realities. You’ve encouraged me through some really rough patches (remember when I was doing IB exams?) and made me feel like I could handle it.

15. You’re wicked talented.

I lived in the Boston area for 9 years. I'm allowed to say “wicked”. Anyway...you never fail to entertain me. You’re an amazing singer and actor, and you definitely have a way with musical instruments. Watching you in shows and concerts is always a good time. Also, the cosplays on your Instagram give me life.

16. You make me feel good about myself.

In a society where everyone’s constantly comparing themselves to their peers, it’s easy for me to become insecure. I know, however, that when that happens, I can always talk to you and you’ll help me get my head on straight again and feel “satisfied”. Thank you for saying I’m “the friend with the answers”. I really needed that.

17. You’ve inspired me to get into makeup.

The makeup pictures you post on Instagram are mind-blowing. Not only do you have a real talent for it, but you also made me feel like I could do it, too. It’s not a cheap hobby by any stretch of the imagination, but I definitely feel beautiful and content when I do it, so to heck with my wallet. Thanks to your work, I felt like I had a shot that was not to be thrown away.

18. You never judge me.

I really love how you accept me no matter how crazy I am or how stupid I sound at the moment. God bless you for putting up with all of my nonsense.

19. You’re a walking, talking platonic version of “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

Your loyalty is impressive. I know you’ll always stay, no matter what.

20. You care about my safety and well-being.

You watch out for me and remind me to allocate time for self-care (“talk less, smile more”), especially when I’m sick or hurt (physically or emotionally). You’ve also reminded me to wear my helmet before riding my bike on multiple occasions.

21. I have so many great memories with you.

I should win the Nobel Prize for sentimentality, honestly. I take good memories and superglue them all to my sappy little heart. Remember at the cast party for my last high school show when I ate all the bacon bits off of your plate while you were in the bathroom? Or—”Wait For It”—when you tried to get in that inflatable obstacle course, bumped your head on the entrance, and said “I think I just got two inches shorter”? Maybe you can recall the time when you came to my house for my birthday party and drew a phallic symbol on one of the balloons but changed it to look like part of Donald Trump’s face instead? Or when, to send me off the day before I left to move into my dorm, you gave me a parrot piñata and an orange balloon on which you had written “Melanie’s ‘Don’t Suck at College’ Balloon”? Well, I remember it all, and I get touched in the feels every time I remember all of the moments we’ve spent together. As King George said in Hamilton, “Oceans rise, empires fall, we have seen each other through it all.”

Image Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21