Thank you.
You may not have known me long, you may barely know me at all, or you may have been around for a while. Regardless of when we met, I truly am thankful for you. You may have smiled at me once or complimented me, you may have seen me in one of my worst possible states, or feeling on top of the world. You may have said something that resonated with me or maybe you're a friend from the past, and while it may not be the same now, I know that we were meant to meet because today I am who I am because I met you.
Looking back at pictures from my childhood I am able to smile because of you. I see all the crazy costumes we used to dress up in, wearing our fathers clothes. I see our big smiles with stained lips from the kool-aid we used to adore. I see our favorite tree in the backyard, and the park that we practically lived at. I see the place where we first met, the place we had that fight over who won in four square, and the river in the woods where we used to play pretend. We may have been just kids running around, but at that age, you were my entire world. You were the people I held friendship standards about far into the future. You set the page for how I was supposed to treat someone else my own age, and you always made sure I was ready for the next adventure.
Middle school and High school may have been loaded with drama, but it was also jam-packed with experiences I had with you. Before we were able to drive, our parents drove us to the mall where we played hide and seek and tried on all of the ugliest dresses. We rode our bikes to the center of town where we bought candy at the local store and spent hours on the swings just talking. Then, when we got our licenses, most of our time was spent driving around and blasting music as loud as it could go. These nights were so freeing. We felt so alive. Then there were the friday night football game where we stood eyeing our crushes and cheering on the teams from the stands in the cold. Looking back, we barely remember the nights we spent slaving over homework. Instead, I remember the good nights where we laughed until we cried, roamed through stores, and cheered on our favorite soccer team. I wouldn't have learned as much as I did about myself without all of our adventures.
Now, in college, is the first time where I've had to make friends all on my own. I haven't had the help of my best friend from kindergarten to drag along with me to football games, parties, or apple picking. We haven't known each other long, but there have been countless nights sitting in our dorm rooms where we tell each other our lives and laugh about all of the stupid things we've ever done. We each have our own background and our own stories to tell. I thank all of you for answering my 2 am calls where all I want is some pizza from dominoes. I thank you for the sleepovers where I just couldn't walk the 10 minutes back to my own room.
You have all been around throughout different parts of my life, but knowing you has been a pleasure. You have picked me up when I fall and have laughed just as hard as I have. You have gone on adventures with me and have taught me to focus on the now because it could all change tomorrow. You have taught me so much and have been there for me when I needed it most. So for that, I thank you. You all have special places in my heart.
