Dear friend,
Every person has that one friend that they could never quite compete with. You were that person for me. Hear me out, though. While, no, friendship isn't meant to be a competition, we do have a habit of comparing our lives to those of whom we spend the most time with. It's not out of jealousy or envy, but rather my appreciation and admiration of what you have going for yourself and what you're doing and accomplishing.
In high school, you were skinnier, prettier, smarter, more talented, more fun, more adventurous and more motivated than me. Being involved with community theatre for several years, I've had to watch you get (or, well, deserve) the better parts year after year, while I was stuck in the chorus. I saw you date and break up with cute guys and end up with minimal permanent damage, and I wondered how you could possibly be so strong. When we went out in public, I often felt like I was the "ugly ducking" of the group, despite the love that I had for you and our friends, and I knew that I was lucky to have y'all around. Of course, I wasn't friends with you because of these reasons –– that you are basically ridiculously remarkable –– but my feeling of inferiority wasn't something that subsided until we went off to (separate) colleges.
Looking back on it, I realize that I've had a wonderful life of my own. I had –– and have –– many things going for me, but I didn't notice them because I was too busy admiring you. "Wouldn't it be nice to be in her shoes for just a day?," I would often think to myself. My life is pretty grand, though, and I truly do like the direction it's headed in. And I don't blame you at all for the way I felt, of course.
Maybe I'm still not the prettiest girl in the room, and maybe I'm still a little awkward when I meet new people. Maybe I do have some self-image problems still, and you're always going to be more talented than me in some things. Maybe I still do get a little jealous of your love life, and maybe I compare our "progress" every now and then. But that's OK. You are you, and I am me. And I love us.
To my friend that I could never quite compete with, I love you. I love everything about you, and I admire you tremendously. You never tried to make me feel inferior; I did that on my own. But, really, I think we make a good team. We balance each other out, and knowing what my weaknesses are helped me find my strengths, and that's what has made me into a stronger person today. And, in the process of becoming stronger independently, I think our friendship is better than it's ever been.
Always your biggest fan,
me
