Six thousand days. That is how long I have had a best friend, and I wouldn't trade a single day for anything in the world. I am lucky enough to have 4 best friends. They are more than just ordinary friends; they are the people I go to on my good days and my bad days. Without them, I wouldn't be the person I am today. They've helped me grow into the woman I am today and for that I am forever grateful.

Then I began to wonder what the definition of a best friend is. So I decided to find out. I asked my Facebook friends, co-workers, and family one simple question: "What is a best friend?"

Here is what they said:

1. "Even if you haven’t seen your best friend for a long time, whenever you see them again they act like it was only yesterday when they saw you. This is what a best friend friendship is like.” –Brenna, 22

Not being able to see your best friend for a long time is challenging. However, once you get to see them again, it's like no time has passed at all. The relationship can usually just start back up from where it left off. For four months I worked in Disney World doing the Disney College Program while my best friend was in Ohio. In May, she was finally able to come visit me after three months apart. We jumped right back into things like she had been with me the entire time. True friendship knows no time apart.

2. "A best friend is the one who is still there once you have hit rock bottom to help build your solid foundation back up again." -Vannah, 23

Best friends help us in our darkest hours without judgment. When we have made the dumbest decisions and the made the most horrible mistakes, they are there for us. They want to help us regain our confidence, grow, and learn from our failures.

3. "I think a best friend is the person they meant when they began the term 'soulmate'." -Teyler, 23

There is a soulmate/best friend out there for everyone. This is someone who completely understands you and loves you for the person you are. If you can find this person, never let them go.

4. "A best friend is the one person you know for a fact would drop everything to be there for you." -Julie, 29

This is key to the definition of a best friend. This means going out to buy a TV at midnight for a spur-of-the-moment movie night because your best friend had a bad day. It can also mean you decide to take a break from your homework to help them after their car doesn't start. Maybe it's spending two hours waiting for a couch you bought and then finding out they accidentally gave you two (yes, they accidentally gave us two couches). Even if it means doing some of the craziest things imaginable, you show up when your best friend needs you and help them no questions asked.

5. "A best friend is someone you can vent to and trust to never have it thrown back at you later." -Amy, 40

Trusting your best friend is everything; they are the person you can turn to and vent about anything you want without judgment. They are the person that holds all of your secrets for you.

6. "The person that believes in you even when you can't believe in yourself. The person that pushes you to follow your dreams no matter how crazy they may be." -Zach, 23

A best friend is like your own personal cheerleader. You can always count on them to be in your corner rooting for you. Even when you can't find it in you to believe in yourself any longer, your best friend is there to remind you that your dreams matter and you can do it.

7. "Some one that will tell you when you are wrong, someone who is like a sister." -Crystal, 45

Our best friends tell us when we are wrong and aren't afraid to do it. Their honesty helps us make better decisions. Being an only child, my best friends' are the closest things to sisters I will ever have.

8. "Someone who will deal with your craziness. Truly listen to you and offers valid advice. Someone who laughs and cries with you." -Erik, 25

Best friends let us be our true selves. They listen to us when no one else will. Best friends are there for us through everything: the happy, the angry, and most importantly the sad times. They are always there to guide us through the most challenging parts of life.

9. "A best friend isn't about who you have known the longest. It's about the person that walked into your life and has chosen to stay and be there for you through everything from then on." -Bri, 21

One year ago I got accepted into the Disney College Program. I had to find a roommate for the program, and this is how I met my best friend Bri. We've known each other barely a year, but it feels like we have had a lifetime of friendship. I may not have known her for very long, but since she has came into my life, she has proven what an amazing best friend she is and that she's here to stay. Even from two thousand miles away, she is there to support me in everything I do.

10. "You" -Rachel, 22

Rachel is my best friend of seventeen years. She is my roommate, my shopping buddy, and my biggest supporter. Most of my happiest memories are with her, and I know we have so many more in our future. We pick each other up when we're down. We have been together through the greatest moments and the worst. Births, deaths, finding relationships, breakups, we have made it through whatever life has thrown at us. True friendship lasts a lifetime and is irreplaceable. Not enough words in the world can describe what an amazing feeling it is to have a best friend that you know you will be able to count on and have forever.

Everyone has their own definition of what a best friend is. But overall, I think we can all agree that best friends are amazing people. They are the strongest person we know, and the best support system anyone could ask for. Without them, we wouldn't be the same.