Dear friend who is leaving me,

When I saw that you were moving to another state, I went through a full spectrum of emotion. I seem to be caught between being so proud of everything you have accomplished and the amazing life you are about to embark on, and my sadness that you’re leaving. You have been in my life for 16 years; that’s not something that a lot of people can say. You aren’t just my best friend that knows me more than I know myself, you’re my family--my sister that God forgot to give me. I feel so blessed to have you in my life that I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do without you. I know you are just a phone call away and we can always text, but I miss the times when we were kids and we would meet in our backyards and talk over the fence for literally hours after school. We have so many memories together -- good, bad, and ugly -- they all seem to blend together. Your friendship has given me so much over the years that I don’t even know how to thank you. You have taught me how to be funny, smart, not take anyone’s shit-but your own--you’ve shaped me into the lady I am today more than you think.

You will be somewhere new navigating your way through this change and all that comes with it; excitement, stress and exhaustion. While I will still be here moving forward like things always have. There will be birthdays, dinners, movie marathons that you will have to miss because you’re far way and that makes my heart clench with sadness, but then I remember the adventures you will be embarking on. Nothing in your new world will be the same as it is here; you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, but one thing will remain the same. Everywhere you go, you are going to inspire people to be better because you are there. There is someone there who doesn’t know it, but they need you in the same way that I do. Someone to get coffee with, talk about things that don’t really matter to anyone else but you, needs to hear your ridiculous laugh because it will put a smile on their face, to guide and be their friend--just like you are mine. I’m trying not to get jealous of this person because they are stealing my friend away from me, because I know that I will always have you. We are the type of friends that can go months without talking then come together and it seem like we’ve never missed a beat.

In this day in age with Twitter, Snapchat, and FaceTime we will never be out of touch, but even with all of this wonderful technology it won’t be the same. I will miss you terribly and I might secretly wish that you would move back, but know that there will always be a place for you here. So here’s to all of the nights we spent stuffing our bras with paper towels, all the fights we’ve had, all the times I’ve heard you sing "Hey There Delilah"all the heartbreak, laughter and tears. I truly hope that you have the best time in your new life, I know that you will take it by the horns and kick ass like you always do, but don’t forget all the little people when you become a super-rich business woman.

Love you.