There are people in your life that will come and go; eventually you’ll learn to accept that. For me, it was a quick but hard fact that I understood at an early age. As you get older, you, along with the people around you, will grow and change; and that’s just the way it is. The person you thought you knew last week, might be completely different today; and that’s okay. Life is about change; experiencing it, dealing with it, and adapting to it. I was the little kid who just kind of made friends with whoever I was near. For instance, I met other kids through the sports teams I played on, the class I was in, and the neighborhood I lived in. I didn’t have many sleepovers until I was at least in middle school and even then they were few and far between.

Who I thought were my friends, or more specifically the people I thought I’d have by my side for the next 10-12 years at least, turned out to be the exact opposite of that. Friends stick together through their changes; through life. These girls didn’t even stick by my side through middle school, let alone my life. It was difficult adjusting to these changes because not only did I lose the people I hung out with at school and at home, but also the people I talked to and carpooled with to hockey games and other sports. It was like something was torn out of me; I no longer had my other half, or rather, who I considered to be my other half. So here I was, friendless and guarded, when someone entered my life. It wasn’t much of a grand entrance, but instead very gradual, building up speed and strength as the years drew on. This person was always there, even from the start when something would go wrong. She understand my loneliness, because she too, had been lonely before. It was this common ground that our friendship was built on: understanding and mutual sympathy for one another.

Our friendship was interesting in the start; neither of us were very sure where to go with it, or how much effort to put in. We lived with the constant fear of the carpet being pulled out from under us, or the ceiling caving in, without warning or caution. So the beginning moved very slowly.

I was so terrified of my heart being broken once again, that I tried to push her away; not once, not twice, but multiple times. I made up every excuse in the book to back-up the theory that we shouldn’t be friends. Looking back, I understand that I wasn’t doing it because I didn’t like her, but instead, because I couldn’t deal with the idea of her leaving me like everyone else had. Sure, neither of us were perfect, but over the years we stuck by one another through every change: little and big. We were bound together at the hip, or at least that’s what everyone told us.

The reason for our tight bond was the way we could always look at the others situation and understand. Through our friendship, I’ve come to learn that understanding is the most important part of a relationship. Without it, how do you sympathize with someone, or make them feel better? How do you know what to say when they’re going through a rough time? How do you follow their elaborate stories they tell if you don’t know the weird ways in which their brain works? We clung together when we didn’t know what else to do, because we understood that we’d always have each other.

A best friend is what most people would call someone who sticks by you through it all, but for me, and I’m sure for her too, that title has lost it’s meaning over the years. Of course I occasionally use it with it’s intended purpose, however, it’s hard for me. So, what I guess I’m trying to say is that no, this girl is not my best friend. No, she’s not even a friend; she’s my other half. I wouldn’t have gotten through without her, and she wouldn’t have without me, either. We may not always understand one another, but we’re fine with that. We usually figure it out, eventually. It’s the simple fact that no matter what directions our lives pull us, there will always be a force holding us together. We’re currently a little under 650 miles away, but I still see her everyday; we’re constantly sending Snapchats to one another and connecting through Twitter and Instagram. I used to vent to her about everything and anything everyday during our lunch or free period, or both, throughout high school. Now, sitting in my college dorm room, I find myself writing extensively to get all those thoughts somewhere other then swirling around my brain.

So, to my other half: thank you for getting me through everything, and by everything, I literally mean EVERYTHING. Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now. You pushed me and kept me going even when I told you I couldn’t do it anymore. If it came to it one day, I know you’d pump my heart for me with your bare hands. Then, the second you’d get it pumping, you’d be off running to dismember the person who caused it to stop thumping in the first place. And for that, I thank you in advance. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without you.

“Even if we’re apart... I’ll always be with you.” -- A.A. Milne