Love. It is one of those fanciful ideals that many dream of and even more chase, but the true definition of it lost too many. If you read the books or watch the award winning films the depiction of it is as follows: a relationship that fills you so completely. It complements the parts of you that are difficult for others to understand. Those whirlwind loves that blow into our lives and forever change us.

Allow me to be honest, I don’t believe I know what love is when it comes to the physical intimacy of a romantic relationship. I myself have not held a significant relationship such as this long enough to understand the meaning. What I do believe though is I have found the wonderful warmth and love of a friendship.

Recently, someone told me the story of older women who each had experiences of romantic relationships and how it has impacted their lives. Together, they reflected on all they had accomplished throughout their lives. Of all these women, one expressed a different kind of love. She always envisioned herself finding God’s match for her, as many of her friends had. In the end though, she found the love of her daughter and the friends surrounding her. Each touched her life and shaped it into what she believed it was meant to become.

I indeed hope that one day I might find my match, but for now and always I have found the love and compassion of a friend. The kind of friend I can tell anything without judgement. The one I can expect an honest opinion from without feeling judged, or misguided. The one who sometimes knows me better than I know myself.

I’ve always believe that you can’t rely on others- they, people are consistent with coming in and out of our lives. That being said, I believe they come into our lives for a reason. They help us to find ourselves and who we are meant to be in the end.

This article is devoted to my best friend. The one who pushes me forward, the one who picks me up when I am down, and the one who always ensures my moral compass is due north. I’m not sure how my life would have turned out if you had not been in it. Someone once said,

“Say I’m a bird.”

Well if you’re a bird then I must be a bird too, because I can’t imagine flying upon the horizon without you.

Many people may find the love of their lives when it comes to their romantic partner, but I have found something just as rich. It’s the kind of love that I would climb mountains and cross oceans for. I won’t mention their name; for fear of embarrassing them, but they and the ones closest to me know who that is. We always show one another how much we care, but writing this article is only my way of translating my language into their passion.

With all my love.