As a young adult who has lived in New York City their entire life, I have come across countless people at various people in my lifetime. While some faces were part of a short time, some individuals were significant factors in different phases of my life. The individuals who have left a substantial impact on my memory were my childhood friends. These individuals were the first group that would push me to understand the meaning of friends.

Here is an open letter to my childhood best friend, who was a significant influence in my life.

Dear friend,

I remember the time we spent in a local Queens neighborhood. I remember the school years, the summers we ran through the park, the morning when we would play in the sprinklers, and the time we spent in each other’s homes. Those were times when we interacted and spent the most time together. These moments were some of the best memories I hold today of my childhood. I thank you for those memories.

I remember being the first to move out the neighborhood because my family dynamics changed. But a few months later found out you were leaving as well. You wouldn't just move neighborhoods as I did, but you moved across the country.

However, we got some time before you would leave. I no longer saw you at school. I would no longer spend the summer with you. Lastly, I wouldn't be friends with you anymore as the distance would make it difficult to keep in touch. We spent a few weekends and a few summer weeks before you left for the west coast.

I remember moments with you and the other kids. We would study and play together. Despite having other friends, we connected because we spoke the same language, ate the same foods, and even loved watching some of the similar shows. But, it didn’t matter because you weren’t there. Your mom and my grandmother stayed in touch for a little bit. But then my grandmother got sick and heard any news about you and your family became merely impossible.

However, I remember being on MySpace. Yes, I was a little kid on Myspace. Where I connected with you again, but time zones, school, and our lives still kept us from really talking. We acknowledge each other and even exchanged how we had changed over the years we were not in touch. With time and social media change, I connected with you on numerous platforms and eventually through text.

But at this point, it doesn't matter. You had new friends, so did I. We faced high school, college and grew up in two different parts of the country. We cannot change the fact that we are not the closest and we may never be a part of each other lives today. We weren’t who we were in the Queens Neighborhood in the early 2000's. We must merely adore the past and enjoy the memories we hold, as they play a part of our lives.

I see how far you have come and can say that I’m happy for you. I also wish you all the best for your future as it seems that you have everything at grasps and are heading for better.

I hope that we eventually have the opportunity to meet and connect as adults who have experienced life in such different manners and opposites side of the country. It would be interesting to see how our lives have changed since the last time we met.

Thanks for being a part of my childhood.

Your friend in NYC.