Dear Best Friend,

First of all, being your maid of honor is one of the highest privileges I can have. Because to be able to stand next to you on your wedding day and watch you marry the one God has prepared for you after all of the trivial, irrational, and off-putting things we've been through together is what brought us to this very moment in time. All of this is what has been planned since the beginning--our paths intertwined so that we could walk through life together in the most minuscule, what-seemed-small-at-the-time moments as well as the life-changing, heart-warming, earth-shattering ones.

And this time of your life, my friend, is one of those kinds of life-altering transitions. So thank you for letting me be apart of it.

On that note, you must know that I love you dearly and that I wish I could be closer to you in this time of preparation for your future. I wish I could do more with the 204 miles that separate us. I wish that I could be there with you physically to pray with you and plan with you and stress with you. I wish that I could hug you when there is tension about all the decisions you're making. I wish that I could look at fabric swatches and tableware with you in your moments of necessity. I wish I could share all those kinds moments with you in person so that not only could those small instances of stress be divided into equal portions but also so that I could be there to celebrate each step you make in this season of your life.

Frankly, there are a lot of things that I wish I could do that I can't necessarily do from afar, but in the months approaching your wedding festivities (which have been filled with choices and plans), I've realized that all of the things I wish I could change about my circumstances in my role in your wedding are trite. Because long-term, all those things are not as big as what's coming--that is that they don't totally define the value of what is to come for you.

What matters most is that you're happy, safe, and comfortable as you move forward. That your heart recognizes you're surrounded by people you love and who love you back infamously. That you're confident and not only content but enthralled by who you're marrying and where you're going.

And as someone who has witnessed you grow through different stages of life, I can say that you've never seemed more sure, steady, or excited to be moving forward with someone. You haven't had to do much convincing in these aspects and that is probably the most beautiful thing about all of this--that others can see you two are meant to be and are preparing for what life will throw at you together.

Our Face-time dates and encouraging texts are always a treat for me because although our lives get busy, we are able to be a part of one another's lives during your engagement and beyond. And although long-distance friendship has proved to be a hurdle we had to overcome along the way, we've come to learn the value of appreciating one's physical presence while we have it. Because whatever amount of time we spend together, that time is known to be cherished. And when we're not in the same city, it is known that we both always have a best friend who is just a phone call away.

So thank you for letting me be your long-distance maid-of-honor because it's continually reiterating the significance and value of our friendship in my life.

You deserve the world, my friend. Let's get you married!!!

Sincerely,

See you soon