To My Best Friend:

Dearest Best Friend,

There are not enough words on this earth to express my thankfulness toward you. While we may have only met in 6th grade, I feel like I have known you my entire life. You have stuck beside me through all my ups and downs, through dumb and pointless guy drama (I mean, there is a reason we call it the black hole right), through family trials, and when I was at my low.

To say that I have been truly blessed by God is an understatement. The bible states within Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loves at all times", and your friendship to me is a true testament of that.

I cannot wait to see what our lives hold for each of us. I can still remember back to our days in high school where we would talk about the hot football guy, or the cute nerd. We would sit there for hours and hours just talking about our dreams for after graduation, in the work force and through marriage and children.I know when I get married to the man of my dreams one day, you will be standing right beside me, making sure I do not trip, faint or who knows what else. You will be beside me when I pick out my dress and plan all the little odds and ends of my big day. You will be the one who gives my husband the "you hurt her...I hurt you" talk. I cannot wait to see what else our friendship has in store.

Not only did you take me in--mess and all, but your family has accepted me for who I am too, mess and all. Knowing that no matter where my life takes me, I will always have you and your family by my side, cheering me on with the wins, and cleaning me off whenever I fail.

To My Second Family:

I want to start by saying thank you. You have raised such a bright and respecting, loving daughter. Without her in my life, I have no idea where I would be. The day I met her, not only did I gain a forever friend, I gained a sister and a new family.

You have stuck beside me through whatever life has thrown at me. Good. Bad. Ugly. Beautiful. Fights with your daughter. You never left my side, and you were always there to offer up your couch or even a bed. I never once had to worry about asking to spend the night, because that privilege was always mine. I was included in everything; graduations, birthdays, family get together's, I was always welcome.

I do not know how much I can say thank you or I love you, because saying it just is not enough to truly show how grateful I am. Your influences within my life have shaped me into the woman I am today. One day, I will meet a man who asks for me to marry him, and prior to that, he will also have to have your approval. I know when that day comes,you all will be sitting beside my blood family--cheering me on (praying I do not fall) and wishing me the best of luck.

Being apart of your family has been one of the best adventures I have been on, and I cannot thank God enough for each and every single one of you.