To my graduated friends,

I don't know if I've properly thanked you for everything you did for me. My sophomore year, you all came into my life and changed it for the better. I only had a few months with you but they were months I would never trade for the world. Each one of you impacted me in a different way. I don't have enough words to thank you and I don't know that I can ever say all that I need to say. But this letter is an attempt.

Thank you for giving me love when I needed it most. Sophomore year was going to be the worst year of my life. Over the summer, I had lost most of my friends and I didn't see a point in going to college anymore. Then, I grew close to four amazing and selfless people. You took me in, only a baby little sophomore, and treated me like family immediately. From there, I met more people who I would treasure forever and who showed me compassion in countless ways.

Thank you for keeping me in the loop. You guys are off in the world now, and it would have been easy to forget the girl who joined your squad that last year of college. Instead, you keep me updated. I'm in the Family group chat and us girls have our own chat as well. Even though I don't have the "adult" experiences to share, you tell me about what's happening in your lives. I'm so proud of all of you, even if life is rough sometimes.

You showed me how to balance fun and school. For a while, I was convinced I'd never drink in college. Or that once classes got hard, I wouldn't have fun. You all taught me how to balance those lifestyles and still kick butt in my major. Beyond that, you showed me how successful I could be. I model myself off of each of you in different ways and I have to credit some of my success to that.

You helped me become more open and understanding. You all came from such different backgrounds and viewed the world so diversely, and yet you all fit together into a beautiful friend group. I often struggle with being open-minded, even though it's something I pride myself in being. Knowing you guys and having the deep thoughts we have helped push my boundaries in ways I hadn't necessarily dealt with. You pushed without being triggering and you also kept an open mind, meaning that I felt heard.

You just understood me. I have a whole lot of traumas. It's hard sometimes, because who knows what's going to trigger me. You all understood that and you were gentle without coddling me. Beyond that, many of you shared similar traumas and needed similar safety nets. I felt understood when it came to that. Before you guys, I hadn't been super close with anyone who shared my traumas.

You were just exactly what I needed. You're still exactly what I need. I haven't found friends like you since sophomore year because your group was so unique. The timing of our friendship was fate. I am a very tactile person and you gave me a cuddle puddle. I need to externally process and you guys understood that and listened. I also needed to be left alone, and I could go to your apartment and hide from the world. There was never any big pressure to interact, even if I was in your space.

This letter is to a very specific group of individuals, but thank you to any friend I have made who is older than me. Having older friends, even if you're only a year or two apart, is invaluable. They can become role models and mentors for you, which creates a special relationship you won't always have with someone in your year or who is the same age as you.

So again, thank you. I miss you every day, and I'm grateful for the small moments where we are able to connect. I hope to see you all soon, but until then know I am always thinking of you. I love you guys so much.

All my heart.