Dear best friends,

Very few people are lucky enough to have friends for life. Even fewer are lucky enough to have known them since high school. Almost no one is blessed enough to have more than one. I don't know what I did right to deserve you guys, but I'm so blessed to have found you in high school and to still have in my life. This letter is to express what I can never say enough: Thank you!

I look back on my first year of high school and cringe at how painfully awkward I was. After spending the first half of my life being home-schooled, I had no idea how immature and ignorant I really was. I was such a little control freak for no reason and I took myself way too seriously. I can't even begin to describe how annoying I must have been and yet, you both hung around.

I remember meeting you in middle school and in homeroom that first week. You both reached out to the scared, left-out little girl who didn't know how to carry on a normal conversation. You stuck by her and helped guide her through rough classes and embarrassing first impressions. You gave her a chance when everyone else wrote her off as a "weirdo" who was meant to be ignored.

The bond we made that year can never be unbroken, even after we all lost contact. Sophomore year may have split us up for a short time but junior and senior year were determined to solidify our bond before we separately went off into the world.

My favorite memories of us were losing my father and prom. If it weren't for you, I would still be sitting in the lunch room in shock at the news of my father's death. You were the one that jumped into action and ensured I was taken care of. You protected me with a fierceness that I will never be able to express my love and appreciation for. There was a fire in your eyes that day and it burned with your desire to take care of me.

Your love for me didn't stop there.

You spent every day of high school bringing me out of my shell and helping me laugh. You both reminded me that things were never that serious and that it's OK to laugh at life occasionally. You allowed me to be a part of your loving family and never hesitated to invite me on all your family vacations. You never questioned that I was one of you.

I loved getting to spend prom with both of you. It was so amazing getting to dance and laugh the night away with two of my favorite people. Getting to experience my first dance with both of you was the best gift I could have asked for. I have so many wonderful memories and pictures that I will always treasure.

Here we are three years after senior year and prom, and we all still talk. Not as often as I'd like, but we still manage to keep up with each other, even if it's something as simple as liking each other's Facebook posts. I loved getting to grow up with you guys and I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us together. I look forward to seeing all of our children grow up together in the way that we did.

I will never be able to express how much each of you means to me.

Thank you for refusing to let me go.

I love you both so much,

Forever your friend