Being the shy and introverted person that I am, I always try to gravitate towards people just like me: quiet, reserved, and somewhat "wholesome." I didn't really have someone who challenged me to stray outside of these norms.
Up until I met my "fun friend," I thought she was definitely someone I couldn't be friends with. Our friend groups were completely different, we had different music tastes and different values. She was very opinionated and didn't care who was around to hear her.
It just so happened that she started work-study one semester in high school at the job I was at. I dreaded the idea of seeing her after school hours. But after working with her for a few months, I found her strong opinions and extremely confident character somehow inviting. We weren't that different after all.
She was different than what I was used to and I welcomed it.
We ended up having more mutual friends than I realized, and we ended up becoming very close friends.
Being friends with her made me realize how confined I made myself and how stifled my personality was. She made me realize I should not care what other people thought because they are going to think regardless. I laughed a whole lot more than I used to, and I stopped taking life so seriously.
She's also helped me a lot in more ways than she probably knows, particularly in coping with mental illness. Her humor and wit make her fun to be around, and sometimes make her the life of the party.
I don't tell her enough how much I appreciate her, but I do. My fun friend, in essence, made me more, well, fun. And I thank her for that.