Dear You,

When I was 6 and you were 7 I thought we would be friends until the day we died. Everywhere you went, I went--vice versa. I remember begging our parents every weekend to hangout, and we would do ANYTHING to be able to have sleepovers. Our parents probably hated us those days. We saw so many new places together, and experienced so many firsts; never thinking there would be a last. I think the hardest part of growing up was realizing we weren't going to be friends forever.

Each time we were together we made a new memory. I remember playing this mall game for hours on end, never leaving the room. That's such a small memory, but something that I will never forget. Much like the time we went down the steps in sleeping bags and my sister put her head through the wall. That spot wasn't fixed for years. We used to tell everyone that we met about that time. It's kind of funny how many things we did in a short 12 years together. We called you Goat before it was some cool nickname. We were never apart, and every time something happened the other knew. Our parents ran us all over God's green earth to get us together. Then I moved a quarter of a mile down the road, and you helped me unpack. This was the beginning of us becoming even more attached. I can't remember a time that we weren't together after that. We used to lie to our parents and say that we had a substitute bus driver and he missed our stop just so we could hangout until bed time. When you got your license that was the last time we were home on the weekend. We would go anywhere and everywhere just to experience the world together.

I always imagined you standing next to me when I was getting married, and being the person I choose as my child's godparent. I thought that no matter what it would be you and I in the end. I thought that I knew for a fact you would be the one I had at the end of the day. The thing is, I never thought that people could change as much as we did. I guess that's what people meant when they said that you lose friends in high school.

I never imagined living without calling you everyday to tell you what was happening in my life. Each time we separated at the end of the day I always knew I would see you the next day. I started dating one of your best friends. That made things so much better because then we were together even more. Little did I know you didn't actually want us together. You were trying to make a relationship with one of my best guy friends, and I supported it more than you know. I thought that you supported me too, but 10 months later I found out that the whole time you were trying to get him to leave me. I never thought my best friend would try to take away the one person who made me more of who I was. I guess I was just blinded by it all. I forgave you though, and never blamed you for us breaking up, even though I should have. I let you come back into my life and never blinked an eye at the things you said about me. You had a boyfriend and you were happy. We were friends again. One night you let it slip that you slept with someone you shouldn't have. I was crushed because you knew how I felt about the kid you slept with, and the worst of it was I found out from him that you had a boyfriend when it happened. I kept it a secret, but he didn't and then your boyfriend's best friend told him about it. That made me a bad person, and we broke off our friendship.

Each time that you needed me though, I was there, ready to help. We weren't allowed to be friends because **** wouldn't accept it. I almost chose to go to the same college as you, because that's what we had planned, but I realized that it wouldn't be home if you weren't there to experience it with me. A lot of who I am now is because of the ways you hurt me. I have continued to reach out my hand so that you always know I'm here. I never expected that I would have to ride around town without the one friend that never left, but here I am.

The one thing I hope you know is that I will never hate you, and I will always cherish the things that once meant so much to us. You'll always be the one person I can do anything with and not be bored. We made some of the greatest memories, and I want nothing but the best for you. Don't ever settle for less, and always remember; you can do anything you choose to do, even if that means putting in the extra work. Thank you for 12 years of countless laughs, memories, dates, movies, and great times. You'll always be part of my family, and you'll always have a home here.