Dear Soul Sister,

It’s not every day that you find a person that makes you feel special and normal all at once. It’s not ordinary to find someone who makes you believe in you, and want to become the absolute best version of yourself. It’s not usual to find someone who knows you better than even you do, and who loves you unconditionally, no matter how stupid or vain or self centered you can be. None of this is commonplace, and to find all these traits in someone like you is a blessing from God that I can never repay.

Life is hard and confusing, and it is so easy to feel like you are alone in this great big world. It can be a struggle to keep your head up every day and to maintain a positive attitude. Between research papers, long shifts and dumb boys, life can seem impossible. But having someone like you by my side makes it so easy to maintain a smile on my face and motivates me to keep moving forward.

Thank you for being there for me when I need you the most. Thank you for not judging me when I make stupid decisions or when I act unreasonable. Thank you for not forgetting about me even when we aren’t able to see each other every day. I love that we are able to communicate with just a facial expression and laugh together until we cry. I love that we can sit for hours just catching up and talking about our dreams. I love that we can make plans weeks, months and years in advance because our friendship doesn't have an end date.

I know that I am not perfect. I know that I sometimes forget to call, and that I can be mean and moody. I know that I forget to text back and I can get so wrapped up into my own life that I forget to ask about yours. It means so much to me that you never gave up on me, that you still picked up the phone when it felt like my world was crashing down. You still pretended to laugh at my stupid jokes, and you never held my shortcomings against me.

But being a true friend is so much more than sending back and forth funny pictures and dancing and singing in the car. Being true friends is knowing that no matter if you fight, or fail, or however badly you may screw up, you still have somebody on your team. It’s never having to feel alone and questioning if you are loved. Having a true friend is knowing that there is someone out there who is always rooting for you, and feels genuinely happy when you succeed. Thank you for showing me what it means to be a true friend.

In life, we get friends and best friends, and even “best friends forever.” But you are so much more than any of these things to me. You are so much more than just a friend to me—you’re my family. You are my soul sister.