Dear High School Best Friend,
First off, thank you.
Thank you for always being there when I needed you. Thank you for always being there when I thought I didn’t need you, but I actually did. Thank you for being my sister, but at the same time, my mother. Thank you for caring when it felt like the rest of the world didn’t. Thank you for letting me ugly cry and for wiping my tears dry when I didn’t get into the prestigious organization of my choice. Thank you for going out to eat with me and for letting me eat off of your plate. Thank you for filling my high school years with laughter and happy memories. Thank you for being supportive throughout all of my dumb decisions, and for never saying “I told you so” when they didn’t work out. Thank you for going shopping with me, and for putting up with my crazy theme day outfits. Thank you for giving me guy advice, and then for telling him to screw off when he hurt me. Thank you for being there when others weren’t, and for guarding my back when I wasn’t watching. But most importantly, thank you for being there for me at all times, and for allowing me to grow and become who I am today.
Second off, I miss you.
I miss you and your crazy converse collection. I miss our late night fast food runs. I miss how we could have a whole conversation using inside jokes, while others stared on in confusion. I miss when you would just show up at my house around dinner time, and my parents would laugh as they set out a plate for you. I miss quoting our favorite movies, and attending concerts together. I miss being able to see you every day, and I miss hearing your latest boy drama. I miss the way we used to walk to class together, and the way we hung out after school. I miss being able to have late night talks at our favorite coffee place, and I miss your sarcastic comments about everything I say. But most importantly, I miss having my best friend by my side during college; and I miss being able to physically turn to you at any moment for advice.
Third, I’m sorry.
I’m sorry we drifted apart in college. I’m sorry we joined different groups of people, leaving us with not much to converse about. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for all of your late night study sessions, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there to bring you coffee and reassure you about your test grades. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to explain to that guy how you expect certain things from him; and I’m sorry I wasn’t there to make sure he got my approval. I’m sorry that I don’t see you as much as we planned, and I’m sorry I’ve missed so many key events in your life this past year. But most importantly, I’m sorry that I allowed our college experiences to come between us and let us drift apart.
Lastly, I love you.
Although we haven’t talked as much as we hoped this past year, I know that if I called you at 3 a.m. in tears, you still wouldn’t hesitate to drop what you’re doing and come help me with whatever I needed. I hope you know that I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same. I know you have big dreams, and I am so excited to see what you do in the future! I love you for being my mother, my counselor, my therapist, and my cheerleader. I love you for all the ups and downs we’ve had in our friendship. And most importantly, I love you as my sister and as my best friend; and I cannot even begin to imagine where I would be today without you to keep me sane all those years.
