“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” – William Shakespeare
To my best friends,
We have been together from the very start. You have seen me through my awkward stages and somehow have still loved me. From my multi-colored braces, to glasses and outfits that should have been burned, you have never been ashamed to be my friend. You all shared your snacks with me at lunch, and made sure I never sat alone.
You listened to me talk about my first crush that I never even spoke to, and helped me navigate through a middle school that seemed so big. You were my dates to our first school dances when we didn’t have boyfriends, and the first people I stayed up until 3 a.m. with. We lived for sleepovers and trips to the mall, even though our mom’s had to drop us off. We started making new friends and experiencing our first real fights. But we never grew apart.
You let me drive you when I got my license and agreed to be my first passengers. You listened to me complain about how much harder high school was, and became my own personal tutor when I needed it. You helped me pick out my prom dresses, and danced with me in heels all night. You smiled with me through my first love and cried with me through my first heartbreak. We celebrated each other’s college acceptances and threw our graduation caps in the air together.
You watched me grow my entire life and always accepted me for who I am. You made me into the person I am today, and without you all, I am nothing. Thank you for showing me the true meaning of friendship and sharing memories with me that I will never forget. How lucky am I to have found friends to grow up with?
Through the years, everything has changed. But the one thing that has always stayed the same is the people beside me. And it certainly does not end here. As we venture out on our different paths, I know you will still be there. Although it is hard, we will always find our way back to each other. From college and our first real jobs, to our wedding days and growing old, we’ll always have each other.
“Friends are hard to find. In a lifetime you only get a few. And when you find them, you always know them by sight and heart alone, you always grow a little bit taller in your soul, and you know you have been blessed just to know them.” Thank you for being the very best.
Sincerely,
A forever friend
