Do you remember when we first became friends in middle school? I’m pretty sure you thought I was weird, and I was admittedly very scared of your presence. But, somehow, we looked past that -- and although we were, and still are, polar opposites, you will always be my forever friend by my side and in my heart in each chapter we face.

Looking back at high school, and even our most awkward middle school moments, you are in all of my favorite memories. From sleepovers during power outages, Chinese food orders that happened too often and ice skating in your front yard, each moment was full of too many laughs and engraved moments.

I think one of the hardest adjustments has been not seeing you every day and the dynamic we perfected over the past five years. I remember how we did every English project together from eighth grade up until senior year; during presentations, I would only have to give you a certain look and you could finish my sentences and elaborate on my ideas. I’m pretty sure I remember a certain English teacher saying my ideas came out like “word vomit,” but luckily you fixed that for me. Or, history projects where you would excel in the political realm and I would listen along, honestly, not having any idea what you were saying. But you grew to love that. You are strongly opinionated about things that I will never have definitive views on, and you are sarcastic and punny in a way that keeps me on my toes, laughing during the most serious moments.

Summers were even more special. Spying on my sister and her various boyfriends, campfires in the backyard, and trying to be the first and last people on the beach to conclude that we “outbeached” everyone else. You pierced my ears (sorry, Mom), encouraged my dreams and gave my personality stronger opinions and flare that my past, passive self never had.

And with sports, which are a huge part of my life, yet entirely insignificant to yours, you continue to listen and cheer me on. You’ve seen me through my longest injuries, my most successful triumphs and largest downfalls. And each year of high school, you were consistently my number one fan. But, my favorite athletic memory was this year, in college. It was when you came to my game at Amherst, where you cheered me on and got to see me play with my team that I worked long and hard to become a part of. To share that moment with my best friend was priceless; it was if it had all come full circle, with you by my side.

We’ve both grown separately in the past few months -- you have an incredibly special new group of friends, as do I. But that reality still doesn’t touch our friendship. You as a friend are one in a million -- you are irreplaceable.

So, thank you for accepting me for who I am and for knowing every detail about my life and still loving me through all of it. Thank you for pushing me to take risks and being there when I fail. Thank you for celebrating life with optimism and determination.

I can’t wait to have you by my side at my graduation, at my wedding and at every moment in between. Together we will always be, my forever friend.