My best friend is my partner in crime and I couldn't imagine what life would be like without her. Through our friendship, she has taught me so many things about life, and even a few things about myself. In particular, there are seven valuable lessons my best friend has taught me that I've come to treasure the most.
1. Your best memories come from the nights you never thought you'd remember.
When I think about my best friend, I don't think about nights like prom. I think about the nights we were driving in my car screaming "You'll Be in My Heart" at the tops of our lungs. Or the nights we found the most amazing sappy romance movies on Netflix that we still talk about all the time. Sometimes the smallest things in life are the ones that mean the most. We should never take those things for granted.
2. Sometimes bum days are your best days.
My best friend's favorite outfit involves sweatpants and a hoodie. I don't think I owned a single pair of sweatpants until I met her. Not only did she teach me that sweatpants are actually a good life decision, she taught me it's OK to take a break from life every once in awhile and just relax. A night in sweats on the couch every once and awhile is a night well spent.
3. It's OK to cry.
For me it's always been easier to bottle things up and push them aside to deal with later, but at some point you have to let it all out. And that's OK. If you feel like you need to cry, then cry. It's good for you.
4. No matter how different two people are, they can come together and form an amazing bond.
Though we have the same first name, my best friend and I are nearly total opposites. She was a cheerleader in high school, and I was an artist. She likes country music, and I like indie rock. She hates politics, and I'm a Political Science major. Yet we still love each other by the power of some unknown force. I've noticed that this happens a lot in life. Don't judge a book by its cover. If you do, you might miss out on more on than you realize.
5. It's OK to not know what you're doing with your life.
I came into college thinking I had everything all figured out. My best friend was always like, "I don't know how you know what you want to do with your life already. I'm still trying to figure it out." I was going to double major in Political Science and International Studies. Eventually, I would work for the USAID. Boy, was I wrong. I've already swapped the International Studies major for English. At first, it felt as if my entire life had fallen to pieces. But then I learned that it's OK to have a tentative plan, as long as you keep an open mind. Don't worry if things don't go as planned. Life is going to throw you in every direction, and sometimes it's better to just go with it. Life is better that way.
6. Be spontaneous. Life is an adventure.
My best friend and I have done some crazy things. For example, we once took a hike in the dead of winter. We nearly got frostbite, but I got some amazing pictures of the frozen forest. One time, we decided we wanted to take a trip to Toledo. So we packed up and headed out for the weekend. Trapped for five hours together in a car really tests your friendship, let me tell you that. But I can't tell you how many inside jokes or memories we made out of that trip. Those are the experiences that we're going to look back on in sixty years and be grateful for. They helped shape not just our friendship, but our characters. They have made our stories interesting, and more importantly, our own.
7. Love whole-heartedly.
The most important thing I learned from my best friend is to always love whole-heartedly. To be a good person even when it is easier not to be. To be strong enough to be kind in the face of cruelty. To be understanding when people make mistakes and then to be brave enough to forgive them. Love is the most powerful weapon we possess; always use it to its full potential.
And with that, all I have left to say is:
Thank you. Thank you for all you've done for me. It's been a lot, whether you realize it or not. No matter how far apart we may be at the moment, you're still my best friend, and you always will be.
