20 years later, look back at the time you spent growing up, vacation bible school, elementary, middle, and high school. Who were your closes friends? Who were you most excited to see everyday? Now think about this, how many of those friends do you still have contact with? How many would you still consider friends? Tough reality is we all grew apart. Yes we may still follow each other on snapchat or twitter, instagram or Facebook, but how many of us still know everything about them? Very few I'd be willing to bet. We change just like the seasons and everyday people go there separate ways but today I say thank you for all of those friends I've had in life, and a special thanks to the friends that are still by my side and the family that has doubled as friends. I'm beyond grateful for all the relationships I have built over the years whether they be lost now or kept. I'm a different person because of the people I've met. Over time I realized that some people really aren't your friends unless its convenient for them, and some people will stick by you through everything even when it makes life tougher on them. True friends never abandon you. Thank you for being my backbone when I needed it and thank you for being the extra push I needed to always finish the race. Life is hectic sometimes but I've learned through the past few years the people that come in and out of your life are merely lessons, they are bridges and stepping stones that leave lasting impressions on our loves whether they be good or bad. Don't sweat the friends that turned out to be snakes, and don't blame yourself for finally walking away. Be true to yourself and know that no matter who your friends were, are, or will be, you will always be your first friend, the person you can count on most, so stay true to yourself. Remember to say thank you to the friends that are around and the friends that have never left. That's truly a blessing. Although this may seem strange, remember to say thank you for the friends that turned out to not be "friends", no matter what they did or what happened between you they taught you something, they helped move you forward to the place you are today. You don't need anyone who doesn't need you however always wish for what's best for them, be the bigger person. Today my main focus is this, be the friend you'd want to see. You can't expect someone to be something that you haven't tried to be. So be grateful for your friends, past, present, and future, and be a friend they can be thankful for too.