They say that you're lucky if you have even just one true friend. I am so happy to say that I have just a few more than that.
My best friends mean the world to me. It doesn't matter if we were friends since birth or even for just a couple of years. Our bonds are strong as can be. We are the absolute definition of a squad. We never went anywhere without at least one, or preferably four, of us in tow.
Prom dress shopping, Twitter battles, road trips, Walmart stops, basketball games, sleepovers -- if you can name it, we were together for it.
My senior year was one of the best years of my life. When we had no one but each other, which was more often than not, we became more inseparable than ever.
We started having many of our lasts. We applied for colleges and scholarships. We survived dual enrollment courses. However, through that school year, a cloud hung over us. Our senior year was drawing to a close and we were all going to different schools, many in different states. We would never mention "it" and if someone ever did, the topic was quickly shut down. I couldn't imagine being apart from these girls who were more than just my friends. No matter what, we went through all of the big cliché events of high school and took away many memories.
I moved to my new school and town and adjusted even quicker than I could imagine. I met some of the greatest people here in college and have grown up more in a six-month time period than I had in the first 18 years combined. I was right that things would be different, but if anything, we became even closer than before.
I thank God for group messages.
Every time I see one of their names pop up on my phone, my day was made. While it is so hard to get us all together in one place at one time, we can always send a funny story or some words of encouragement and still connect. We make road trips to visit each other, our new homes, and meet our new friends. Besides family, they are the only reason I wanted to come home during breaks. Like all relationships in life, all parties involved have to put in the effort to make it work. We are so committed to making our friendships work, we even met during Thanksgiving Break, at an IHOP 30 minutes fro our town, in our pajamas at 8 a.m., just to all be together. Now that's true friendship.
We all lead very different lifestyles with equally crazy schedules. We have different inside stories and use lingo that the others may not always get, but that's OK. (I doubt that you know what the DH or Barn is.) We all have amazing friends and funny stories. All of my school friends know all about my crazy friends from home. "Wait, which one is this? The track athlete, the fashionista, the All-American girl, or the other track girl?" They see pictures of us and compliment everyone's beauty. When this happens, I beam with pride and think to myself about how amazing each of my friends are on the inside, too.
Thank you, guys. You helped to turn me into the young lady who I am today. You helped me accept my flaws, be who I am, and know what I deserve. Thank you for everything.