Delaney was four years old when she received a letter from Santa Claus. In the letter, “Santa” asked her how her dogs were, told her that she was on the nice list, and then concluded the letter with telling her that he was “also going to drop some toys off at your best friend Natali’s house.” Fast forward 15 years, and Delaney is still the closest person to me, and my very best friend.

If someone asked me to reflect on some of the biggest milestones in my life, what would come to mind would be getting my license, getting into the college of my dreams, graduating high school, and so many more. I remember the first day of being a licensed driver, driving to my best friends house, picking her up, and blasting music all the way to A&W. I would have to say we were both equally excited to have the freedom to drive around, just the two of us.

When I got accepted to Syracuse, I remember frantically telling my family and then immediately texting Delaney as fast as my fingers could move. I could not wait for her to hear the news. She is my biggest fan, and the first person I go to with big news, because I know she will be equally if not more excited than I am. Having someone that finds genuine joy in your accomplishments is something that is so rare, and something that I am extremely lucky to have.

I remember how bittersweet it was to graduate high school. I could not wait to get the hell out of there, but like any other high school senior, was also a bit sad and afraid. Sad, because I would no longer get to see my best friend every day. Although I knew that she would always be a huge force in my life, the unknown is scary and I was not sure what effect college would have on us. For the record, college has only made us stronger. Throughout all of these moments that would forever impact my life, there was always one central theme: my best friend. I know that throughout my life, moments and milestones will come and go, but I will always have her there to cheer me on and to make the already good moments even better.

Sadly, with the highs come the lows. It’s an inevitable fact of life. I’m a firm believer that in order to get through tough times, a support system is not only good to have, but necessary. Thanks to my best friend, I know that I will never have to go through anything alone. Just like the good times in my life, when I look back on the bad times, Delaney was there every single time, without fail. There is not a single person on this planet that knows everything about me, except for her. She is my confidante, my shoulder to (literally) cry on, and the person who knows exactly what to do or say every single time, even if it means not saying anything at all.

I will never forget earlier in the year, I was going through a lot of things personally. Obviously Delaney was the first person I called and looked to for advice and just to let all of my emotions out. Yet again, she did not fail to be there for me. I know that no matter what I needed, whether if it was driving me all over to run errands, or just taking me to Wendy’s to cheer me up, she would not hesitate. I walk around with the most comforting feeling knowing that I will always have someone to fall back on, no matter what it may be that I am going through.

I will never forget during one of the harder times in my life, she texted me one day just to check up on me. This meant the world to me, and I told her just how much it meant that she thought to randomly check in. Her response will stay with me forever, “I will never stop and you know that.” Those simple words are ingrained in my mind forever. I can’t imagine what I did in this life to deserve a best friend like her, but I am eternally grateful. I know that no matter what happens in my life, in the end it will all be okay because I have her.

My best friend is someone who has become another sister to me. We both consider each other’s families our own. There is not a soul on this earth who can make me laugh harder than her.

Dynamic duo does not even begin to describe the relationship that we have. No one understands my weird tendencies, my interests, or just who I am more than her. One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from the show Sex and the City. All of the four best friends are discussing the idea of having soul mates, and one of the characters has an epiphany and says something that will stay with me forever: “maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates, and guys are just people to have fun with.” I know this to be true, because the little girl who I went to daycare with, grew up with, and experienced my life with, is in fact my soul mate.