To my friend,

You are moving (and you have no idea how hard those three words were to accept).

I know that you will only be a Facebook message, text message, or Skype call away. I know you leaving does not mean that our almost 10-year friendship ends here. And I know that you will always be family to me.

But, a lot is going to change, for both of us.

You moving makes us both sad, for similar reasons, but our coming days will be quite different.

I’ll be in the same place that I’ve been in. And my life will move forward, just like it always has, and it always will. There will be meals, weekends, and get-togethers that you will be unable to attend because you’ll be far away. This will be sad, and hurt a bit, but I’ll do my best to not tell you that too often.

You will be in a new place, and working through all the things that come along with all that newness. The excitement, fear, nervousness, exhaustion, stress, all of it.

You see, nothing in your new home will be exactly as it is in your old home. For one (and most importantly), I won’t be there.

And yet.

One thing will be the same. There are people and places and lives in your new home that will be made better because you will be there. Somewhere in your new home, there are people who need you, and whose lives you will change forever. There are people who need your openness, your laugh, your joy, and your friendship. They need someone to watch movies with, someone to open up to, and someone to challenge them and be their cheerleader. They need you.

And I know all of this for one reason. I know all of this because that was me, about ten years ago. I needed you to come into my life, and you did. And I am a better because of that.

I don’t know when the next time I will see you will be. But I do know that we will always be in touch. And I know that wherever you go next, you will change lives. I know that there are people who are ready to meet you (whether they know it yet or not). And when you find them, they will love you, and be better for it. I hope they know what a gift they will have.

Until we can call the same place home again, wherever I am, there will always be a place for you too.

Visit often, and I will try to visit you as well.

Love always,

Your friend