Growing up, I was influenced by a lot of the same things other little girls were. I spent hours watching Disney movies, dreaming of the day I would meet my prince, my true love, my soulmate. From a young age, we’re taught who a soulmate should be. Usually, they’re a handsome boy whom we meet unexpectedly and instantly have a connection with. So it makes sense that, if you told me when I was seven that I’d find my soulmates in the presence of my two best girl friends, I’d tell you you were crazy. But that’s exactly what happened.

When I first met Natahley and McKenna in eighth grade, I never would have guessed they’d be as important to me as they are now. That instant connection you hear about isn’t always so instant -- McKenna and I didn’t get along, (because of a boy, as per usual in middle school), and I don’t think Natahley and I actually spoke until an unfortunate incident in gym class forced us to. But, somehow, throughout the course of the year we became best friends, and it stayed that way all throughout high school.

Sometimes, when you have a group of three, one person tends to be excluded, or two people in the group have a closer bond than they do with the third. It’s never like that with us, though. We play off of each other’s personalities. The conversations between us flow so effortlessly, there’s never an awkward attempt for someone to get their word in because we have no problem screaming at each other to shut up if we feel it's necessary. We’re so different and unique; yet, that’s never been a roadblock for us, even now that we live in three separate places, one of us not even being in the state of New York.

I think it took moving apart for us to truly appreciate what kind of friendship we’re blessed to have. It’s really true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. The distance is hard, but I speak for all three of us when I say it’s done nothing but bring us closer together, and as cliché as it sounds, no matter how much time we spend apart, we always pick right back up where we left off.

It took five years into our friendship, but we finally reached a point of maturity where we could reflect on the bond we have with one another, and realize something about it. It’s common to hear girls call their friends “sisters” when they feel simply considering them a friend is not enough, and while I do consider these girls my family, they’re so much more than sisters to me, (I already have two of those, and two is plenty, trust me). They’re my soulmates.

So, no, I didn’t find my soulmate in the boy I fell in love with in high school. I found my soulmates in the girls who listened to me cry when I felt broken, who stayed awake until 4 a.m. with me, just because they knew I couldn’t sleep, and who told me things I didn’t want to hear, but needed to. I’ve never met more beautiful people and no one has ever accepted me the way they do. I hope everyone finds their people like I found mine, although I seriously doubt better friends exist, because mine truly are the best.