Dear Best Friend,

It feels like we were just meeting yesterday. At the same time, it feels like we've known each other for our entire lives.

It's difficult to put in words every thought whirling through my mind and every feeling rushing through my body. I go from feeling extremely angry that you're leaving me, to feeling a swell of pride for everything you've accomplished thus far. I'm depressed, thinking about life without you, and ecstatic, knowing what's ahead.

You see, before I met you, I didn't know how much I needed you in my life. I didn't know how empty I would feel when three weeks of break went by, or how anxious I would feel when we parted ways after a long weekend together. I didn't know that my "person" was out there, or that she would "get" me better than anyone.

You are fiercely loyal, insanely dependable, and unbelievably funny. Not to mention the fact that you're one of the weirdest people I know, and you own it completely. You know exactly who you are and are proud of it, which is not something most people can say upon graduating.

You and me together? Madness. Never in my life have I laughed so much at nothing, or had so many on-going inside jokes. I can't even count the number of times we have sat in my room, rolling around on my floor with tears flooding out of our eyes, as we laugh so hard at literally nothing, that we start snorting.

People love us or hate us. They hear our banter, and either just "get it," or they scoff and roll their eyes. The thing is, the latter group doesn't even matter because you and I both know that if we only had each other in this life, we would get by just fine. In fact, we'd probably be better off.

I digress. Listen, I know you're terrified of entering the real world. You feel like we've lost a year of precious time together, and you're not quite ready to immerse yourself in a new world without me right by your side. Trust me, I'm terrified too... and I'm staying here in my little safety net, so I can't even imagine how you're feeling.

However, just because you're graduating, does not mean that we will fall out of each other's lives. Your perseverance, hard work and ability to excel in everything you do will all work together to bring you success.

You're an inspiration to me, and you're going to test those mysterious real world waters for me, which I appreciate (hey, let me know if it's warm). Nonetheless, during those times when you're panicked about what's to come, or when you're exhausted from working so many hours, know that I'm just a short phone call away.

In no time, we will be living together, reminiscing about our wild college years. I know we'll remember our nights out more than our nights in, and we'll cringe about how much we stressed the small things. We'll laugh at how that one idiot one of used to like has gone no where, and we'll smirk knowing that we ended up doing so much better. We'll plan vacations to exotic locations other than Mexico, and we'll drink some good alcohol.

Believe me, the next phase of life is going to be a good one. While I wish we were entering it together, know that you made the most out of your time in college. You had your days--you studied when you needed to, tried every restaurant in town, and went out when you needed a break from it all.

I'm just grateful that I can say this with confidence: the best times, the worst times, and the crazy times--every zenith, every abyss, every prance around fratland--we lived each important moment together.

Your graduation is not the end of our story... it's the beginning.

Know this, best friend, you're going to do big things some day. And when you do, I'll be right there by your side.

"A good friend knows your stories. A best friend helped you write them."

Love,

Your Best Friend

P.S. CONGRATS ON GRADUATING, YOU CRAZY CAT!