Dear Sailor,
To start off with I would like to say how incredibly proud I am of you. Your bravery will take this country to amazing places, and I admire the courage you must have to fight for my freedom every single day. So, thank you for that.
I have this image of you in my mind of you dressed so neatly in your uniform, badges shining, saluting the higher ranks with such a serious face that I almost don’t recognize. Then I remember, the night we pinky promised and kissed on it that no matter where life takes us, we will ALWAYS be best friends. Suddenly, I can recognize you again. I know that you are strong, brave, intelligent, skillful, and all the things that are going to make you an amazing sailor, but I also had the privilege of learning all the amazing qualities that make you my best friend. There are two very important qualities you inherited that are going to contribute greatly in your success serving in the Navy. In case you are ever feeling scared and are questioning your reason in being where you are, I want you to remember the qualities you have that make you my best friend and realize they will make you a great sailor, and then you will know you are EXACTLY where you should be.
You are loyal
No matter how many times we have fought, not spoken, or I turned my back on you, you never ever turned your back on me. There was never a single time when I felt I couldn’t come to you with my problems. You were there for me through it all. You were there the day I found out I was pregnant at 16, you were there the days I thought I didn’t want to fight to be here anymore, you were there during my first heartbreak, and you were there the days I couldn’t be home anymore because things weren’t good here. You have yet to turn your back on me through all the bad times. This is probably the most important quality for a best friend and sailor, or any branch of the military. I am honored to know that there is someone fighting for me who is loyal to her people and to her country. Your loyalty is going to be recognized, I promise you that.
You have a heart of gold
I know we try to put on this bad ass act that we don’t care about anything or anyone, but I haven’t met someone with a bigger heart than you. When you love someone or something you love with every ounce of love your soul can conjure up. I know you think your heart is so black, but you are golden. Don’t ever let anyone paint you black, because YOU ARE GOLDEN. This is so important because even when you feel like you are nothing, when your tired of fighting, when you are constantly facing a battle within yourself and eventually at sea, you always put others first. You have been this way since I met you. Even when you were falling apart you always made sure I was getting myself together first. You try to fix people. Sometimes it fails, but you never stop trying. Don’t stop fighting, don’t stop trying. Your golden heart is going to outshine every star you get to gaze at out on sea.
I could write a book on all the amazing things about you but now I want to get sentimental. You have been my best friend since Freshman year of high school. Even if we fell off this past year, like we “pinkey” (still laughing we spelled pinky wrong) promised at my 15th birthday party – we will always be best friends. There won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t think of you and pray for you. You know I’m not religious, but I just need my best friend to be okay. The thing is, there isn’t a single other person in this world that knows me like you do. There isn’t a single person in this world whose memories are even close to equivalent to ours. I’m going to be holding onto those memories for the next five years until your contract is up. We have done everything together from trying on ugly prom dresses, to eating cheeseburgers at my mom’s work, to running from the cops, to dying our hair red, blue, and purple in your dining room, to chasing a little bear in the woods. There isn’t anything I haven’t done with you, and if there is you better believe we're doing them the second you come home.
Overall, no matter where you end up, what city you’re in, or where you are, always remember that we will be looking at the same moon at night and making wishes on stars at 11:11 p.m. and I will always be thinking of you at these moments. I will love you forever and always. You are the best friend I ever had and even the times we weren’t talking, I am beyond grateful I met you. You will never not be my best friend. I am so so so so proud of you,
Be safe, I love you so much. XOXO,
Your forever friend.
