A best friend you’ve had since childhood is different than any other ordinary relationship. You grow up together and you experience the other’s whole life. I’ve known my best friend since preschool. In fact, we met on a tire swing. She’s been there for me through everything.
Em, here a few things I want to say to you:
1. Thank you for accepting me as me.
You never once judged me for stupid things I've done, crazy things I've felt or weird things I've said. You welcome every part of me. The anxious, scared, obnoxious, emotional, goofy parts that make up me. I can never thank you enough for getting to know every single part of what makes me me and still sticking by my side.
2. You're such a big part of my life.
I feel like I would be missing a part of me if you weren't in my life. It may sound cheesy, but you are a part of who I am. You've taught me so many things about life, about relationships and about responding to obstacle in life. A good portion of who I am today is a direct result of being your friend.
3. I feel more myself around you than around anybody else.
With 18+ years of friendship, I am the most comfortable around you. Obviously I'm myself around my family, but there's no one else I can truly be all of me around without feeling judged or self-conscious... except you. There's only a few people I can have comfortable silences with, and you're one of them.
4. You give the best advice ever.
Whether I need help replying to a boy, dealing with family stress or don't know how to approach a social situation, you are always a phone call away ready to give me the best advice you can. And let me tell you: yours is the best. I hope you know how much your words mean to me. Not only do you give the best advice, but you let me rant if I need to. If I'm having a bad day, I'll lock myself in my car; talking to you on the phone really calms me down.
5. A lot of my favorite memories are with you.
I could spend days, and I mean days, talking and laughing at all of the things we've done. Just to name a few... Jack in the Box runs just to get curly fries and milkshakes at 1 in the morning, car rides blasting "Call Me Maybe" and taking pictures of each other sleeping only to wake up and find them on each others phones. Thank you for doing random things with me, laughing till 3 a.m. with me and driving with me just to drive.
6. You've stuck with me through literally everything.
From preschool to middle school, from high school through college, our relationship has gone from just friends to sisters to not speaking for a whole year to absolute best friends. With all the things we've been through together, you were always there. You never gave up on me even when you would have been completely justified in doing so. You were there through my parents' divorce, through my diagnosis of anxiety, through my panic attacks and through so many other struggles. But you were also there for the happy moments. You were there for everything.
We're sisters. We're best friends. And one day we'll be old grandmas together. We share a bond I've learned is unbreakable. I love you so much, thank you for everything.
