Let me tell you something about my best friend. Her name is Jessica Buckley. She’s 22 years old. She loves dogs (like, loves them) and enjoys going to the gym. She’s deathly afraid of lady bugs and she hates steak. She’s independent and her smile is insanely beautiful. (Her everything is insanely beautiful.) She likes the color combo of black, silver and any accent neon. She has a weird obsession with teeth. Honestly, the list goes on and on. But why is this amazing person my best friend? Here are the top 5 reasons:

1. She’s honest but doesn’t judge

I can turn to her when I need advice about relationships or making life-changing decisions or life in general. I don’t always have the answers, so she’s the first person I go to when I’m in need of one. Even if she doesn’t have the answers, she has the ability to talk to me and, in return, listen to me. Whether I’m gushing about my latest date or crying about my latest heartbreak, she won’t judge. She loves me despite my flaws. She’s honest with me when I’m being irrational; she’s not afraid to be brutally honest. If I do something she doesn’t agree with, she doesn’t judge me. She hugs me and tells me, “Let’s fix this.” My best friend is my fixer.

2. She’s family

This August, we’ll have been best friends for 12 years! We survived high school together. We came to College of Charleston together. She’ll be in my wedding, and I’ll be in hers. My family practically adopted her years ago — she’s ½ Simpson now. The best thing about her is the fact that she’s family. No, she’s not blood, but she’s my soul sister. In high school we both worked at Charanda. When she pulled doubles, she would come to my house during her break. But she didn’t come to my house to see me — she came to my house to take naps in my bed. She’d walk in, say hey, sleep, then say bye and go back to work. My home is her home. My family is her family. My best friend is my sister.

3. She makes me a better person

You’ve never been given a pep talk until you’ve gotten one from my best friend. When I’m feeling down about myself she doesn’t tell me, “Oh, you know you’re pretty/smart/funny/whatever.” She grabs my face, makes me stare into her eyes and she yells at me about how amazing I am — literally. We do it to each other. We’re both constantly telling each other how amazing we are and how lucky we are to have a best friend like us. I’m happier when I’m around her. She’s been by my side for almost 12 years; I feel safer when I’m around her. She brings out my confidence and makes life so much more fun. Only she would surprise me with concert tickets to see Halsey and The Weeknd, drive 8 hours to see the concert in Florida, then drive back to Charleston right after the concert. We’re adventurous, brave, funny and full of life. My best friend is my person.

4. She knows all of my secrets (and I mean all of my secrets)

She’s the first person to know about anything that happens to me. If I kiss someone, I call her. If I fail an exam, I call her. If I awkwardly ran into an ex-boyfriend, I call her. She knows everything there is to know about me. Not only does she know my secrets, but she keeps them, too. If we make a pinky promise, we keep it. See, pinky promises are our thing. If we lock pinkies on anything, we have to take it to the grave. We take our promises seriously, whether we promise to keep a secret or promise to follow through with getting a tattoo. I don’t care that she knows the “bad” things about me; I care that she loves me despite them. My best friend is my keeper.

5. She’s my other half

I couldn’t (no, I refuse to) begin to imagine what my life would be like without her in it. In fact, I’ll be honest — I wouldn’t want to live in a world without her. I would be lost. I wouldn’t lose my best friend; I would lose my fixer, my sister, my person and my keeper. I want to celebrate every little milestone with her by my side. She’s the star to my moon and the crazy to my calm. Although weeks will pass without us seeing each other, she has an everlasting presence in my life. I know she’s only one text or phone call away. Plus, she’ll be with me when I graduate from college. She’ll be in my wedding. She’ll be the godmother to my children. She’ll be a part of the important things. These words are beginning to sound like vows, but maybe they are. If I never meet my one true love, I won’t be disappointed. At least I’ll still have her. My best friend is my soulmate.