Dear best friend,

Oh where do I begin? We have known each other for basically our entire lives. We've been within the same friend "group" since Freshman year of high school. Yet, I've only considered you a best friend for a short while.

Allow me to explain.

You see, when we first got clumped together as friends when I started dating this kid, I actually hated you. No, like, truly hated you. Hearing your name made my stomach turn and my teeth clench. I was basically like that Arthur meme every time someone brought you up. Ugh - I'm sorry.

Once I realized that you probably weren't going to go anywhere, I started to tolerate your presence. If you were invited along to do something, I would go along with it. However, if you weren't invited I didn't tend to say, "hey, whatta bout her?" I avoided you if possible because something about you made my blood boil. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was fear, who knows? Again, I'm sorry.

When we graduated high school, we were civil, but we also kind of fell out of touch. We all went our own ways and stopped seeing each other as frequently. Random bump-ins were awkward and uncomfortable - it was like we didn't even know each other.

Finally something happened and we had a reason to catch back up with each other. There was random pauses, but mostly laughter and genuine conversation. We had actually missed each other's presence, woah.

I think the day we both grew up was the day we truly became best friends. All along we had so much in common. Unfortunately, I was a grudge-holding, judgmental asshole and you were, well, a bitch. (hahaha) Because of that, we were unable to see what beautiful friendship there could have been all along.

All this time we could have spent gossiping about the people we mutually hate, getting our nails done together, or just watching movies and shoving our faces full of food, gone. Simply because the whirlwind of highschool "he said, she said".

But now, as two grown ass adult women, we get to enjoy the best parts of life - together. From weddings, to babies, to career goals, I get to be there for you, and you for me. Where we sit now, it's difficult to comprehend that our past truly was our past. Do I think it was dumb how mean we secretly were to each other? Yes. Do I regret not getting along with you? Not necessarily. Only because I think had we been this close in the past, it may have died out long ago. Then we might hate each other today. Weird, right?

Anyways, thank you for making the hate mutual. Thank you for being the person you were then and the person you are now. We have grown by leaps and bounds, both individually and together. I am proud of us. ;)

I know this seems like a lot of rambling, but it needed to be said. I am so grateful for our friendship and how I can trust you with everything under the sun (even my hair). I promise to never let you down or let the small town bullshit get between us again.

Love you from the depths of my soul,

The girl who used to hate you.