Around seven or eight years ago, there was a time where I met someone online. The app we found each other on, Instagram saved both of our lives.

I was "stalking" her page. Kidding. I was scrolling through her page wondering if I could have her as a new friend. If you knew me, I'm pretty nervous meeting new hearing people because of my hearing loss.

That's is my best friend who I now call my other half-sister.

Anyway, when I met her through Instagram, I was afraid to see where the friendship went. Now many will say, "do not talk to people on the internet if you do not who they are". In my opinion, it does not matter if you're on the internet or in the real world, just be cautious. To be honest, I'm glad I met my best friend eight years ago.

Reasons for having an online best friend:

1. You start to have stuff in common.

2. You start to feel the dreams coming together.

3. You have the same birthday month. (By the way, I'm still older.)

4. Graduated in the same year: 2016.

5. Having the same issues as each other.

6. Making plans with each other for the future wise.

7. Knowing you will never give up on each other.

8. Having the same personalities.

9. Name calling (ex: hoe, slut, so forth. As a joke, not for real!)

10. Help each other with decisions.

11. Knowing we can have each other as support if we both need it.

When people ask about our friendship, we always tell it's a good thing we met. We have both graduated the same year, different months.

Isn't she pretty?

So if you really wanted to know more about our friendship. We became really close when the insult started coming.

Back to when I stated, I was scared to get to know a hearing person. When knowing someone, you get to know them in a short time. Do not give up on someone who could be your best friend one day and you could enjoy the laughter from them. When she met me, I was scared of telling her I had a hearing loss. I enjoyed telling her, but I was nervous. Like I said, Hashtags started it all. #WeLOVE She wasn't afraid to tell her parents about me. Really. I was shocked.

I asked some really simple questions

1. When we met 7 to 8 years ago, what did it feel like meeting a hard of hearing person?

2. When you are talking to other people, and texting me or face timing me, what do you tell them when they ask specifically about who you are talking too?

3. What were your feelings when I told you I was deaf/ HOH?

I got very simple answers.

"When we met, it was kind of different, I guess. You could say because she was my first real internet friend. However, we clicked right away and the rest is long gone history. I tell people how we met, and I tell them about who she is as a person and as a friend.

I also inform them about how she's different but that doesn't matter to me even though it bothers some people. It was different for me to know someone that has a hearing disability because I've never been friends with some like that before and I knew that it would give me a different insight into how they live their lives, she taught me things about what it's like to be Deaf."

Don't be afraid to meet someone. Sure it might be scary at first, but don't feel ashamed of it. Always make plans of meeting in person one day, Which might happen in my case during my summer break next year, 2017. I cannot wait to meet my best friend. Have you ever had that feeling where you just wanna hug them and run them over because you're so happy to meet them in person? We have FaceTimed, but it isn't the same as person conversation. It's the greatest feeling to have someone in your life who is so far away from you and you just enjoy their company.