Dear friend,

One of my fears is that you'll never know how much of an influence our one conversation had on the rest of my life thus far. While we weren't super close friends, you were always there to check on me, and you always offered to be there for me to talk and cry to. I was a very insecure freshman when we first really became friends. I never understood why you would always talk to me; I wasn't popular, I was incredibly awkward, and absolutely in awe of people like you, who would speak their minds without fear and make sure everyone felt welcomed. I had this intense fear of talking openly to anyone; I thought it would be so much easier just to build up a facade in hopes that it would become my reality.

But you saw right through it.

You encouraged me to open up, to tell people about myself; not just the successes and realities, but also my failures and dreams. By talking about it with you, I was able to talk to others, and I continue to build the trust it takes for the personal conversations with my friends.

So I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being there for me even when you didn't need to. Thank you for calling me out on all the problems I was trying to hide from. Thank you for mixing your tough love with comfort. Thank you for helping me become the person I am today.

Love,

The girl who changed

"That's when I realized what a true friend was. Someone who would always love you - the imperfect you, the confused you, the wrong you - because that is what people are supposed to do"

r.j.l.