You were my first-day freshman year automatic friend; we were both attending a new school and needed someone to gravitate to as we adjusted to our new environment. We participated in all of the same activities and shared a lot of the same beliefs that brought us together. Although most of those 'orientation friends' do not last far beyond orientation, I believed that our relationship was special. For the majority of high school, you were my person.

Despite all of the drama circulating throughout our friend group, you and I always seemed to align and come back to each other. For the first three years of high school, you were the person I went to when I felt like no one would understand me, and you encouraged me to be confident in myself. Thank you for making me feel loved and valued.

You and I had two completely different perspectives regarding true friendship in high school; I was shy, and for me, it was more important to have a few extremely close friends to construct the foundation of my much-needed support system while you seemed much more fickle, and constantly craved something new.

Then and now, it takes a lot more for me to consider someone even to be my friend because I have more difficulty trusting people, whereas you were always outgoing, and pursued a relationship with everyone even if it meant being neglectful of other relationships.

With the end of junior year, you craved to surround yourself with new people that could provide for you what you could not find in me, and in return, I gravitated towards someone I consider my best friend today. Our exchanges of conversation day to day primarily consisted of, "We need to plan something" with a response of, "Yes! I miss you so much."

Nothing really ever resulted from that. I constantly wondered what went wrong, and why I felt like I was consistently making an effort to talk to you in school and make plans with you but you never seemed to want to put in the same effort.

Naturally, as we started to separate to embrace new lives, our experiences encouraged us to discover more about ourselves and how we perceive the world around us. With this growth, your moral values changed, and we no longer had something to bond over.

It is extremely difficult to adapt and still have the same relationship with someone once their morals change and no longer align with yours, as our morals are some of the key components that comprise who we are. As we navigate our contrasting worlds and convictions, we experience personal change, and our relationships change as a result.

No matter what, I will always support you, respect you, and be there for you if you ever happen to need me. Despite not considering each other 'best friends' anymore, we know more about each other than most people. If I texted you in the middle of the night because I needed you, I know that you would be there to talk me through it.

I know that you would never judge me, and I feel safe coming to you whenever I am unable to carry an emotional burden by myself. Our midnight conversations have provided me with the strength to face the challenges life has to offer. Thank you for reminding me that I never am, and never will be, alone.

Although we rarely talk anymore beyond a brief Snapchat update, and now we seek different people for the support and friendship we used to find in each other, you will always have a special place in my heart. You mean so much to me, and I am so grateful for you to have been a part of my life.

No matter where we stand today, or if we will ever restore the connection we once shared, your crucial presence throughout some of the most difficult periods of my life played a role in shaping who I am. Although our relationship may not have persevered through the obstacles imposed by time and distance, I am so thankful for the memories we made. You, and our memories, still mean the world to me.