If you’re lucky like me and have grown up with, and are still friends with someone you’ve known since you were little, it’s important we let those people know how important they are to us.

So, to my long time bestie, here’s to you.

Here’s to you for being my first true friend, the person that not only grew up alongside me, but helped me to grow up too.

You were there when we began first grade, you were there when they read off our names at graduation, and you’re still here even today.

In elementary school you sat at the lunch table and giggled with me as we both experienced our first crushes and came up with what we thought were sneaky code names for the boys we thought were cute.

You were there when I so desperately wanted to be one of the cool popular kids in middle school and when I never quite made it into that group. You were there to make me feel like I won the friendship lottery anyway because of how you taught me that I was always good enough for you.

You were there when we got to high school and everyone told us we wouldn’t graduate with the friends we started with. When I almost began to believe them, you were there to teach me that even as we grew up and became different people, we would never be too different to share a sense of humor and love of sleepovers.

Now, you’re still there when I come home from college, and you make me feel as if nothing has changed between us and as if no time has passed since we saw each other last.

I’m pretty sure that’s something special.

Now, I hope to always be there for you. I hope you will always call (or snapchat or text) me when you have really good days so I can celebrate with you and on the days when you feel as if you’ve never felt as low so that maybe I can make you understand how happy you deserve to be.

I hope I can return half of what you’ve given me in my life. You are one of the few people I know I can count on, and I have been able to steadfastly lean on you for the past 12 years of my life.

I don’t say it enough, but thank you.