Hey pals, this one's for you.

I don't mean my squad, or even the friends I'm close to. Just simply, my pals. Everyone knows the importance of the friends you talk to on a regular basis, the ones who you have a million inside jokes with, or the ones that know your fears and quirks. But does anyone really thank the ones on the outside who help hold you together, too? Of course, these people have their squad and close friends too, and you're both on the outside of each other's groups, but you're still vital to each other's lives and well-being. Often times, pals will see what the best friends can sometimes overlook.

For instance, I was having an exceptionally hard day and made a tweet about it. I rarely make posts about things like that, but something inside me told me to that day. I'm glad that I did! Within minutes of tweeting it, I got a message from one of these pals of mine. It said, "[Her dorm room number] my room's empty, unlocked and I'm gone all day if u want a safe place 2 cry. Love U girl! Lookin out! ... my bed is pretty comfy!" Though I didn't take her up on her offer, it definitely made me smile and feel a bit better knowing that someone didn't even need to know the details to reach out. And how sweet that we aren't even close and had never even hung out? This was just one of the numerous exchanges between the two of us offering an ear or advice.

Another pal of mine, I've never even met in person. She lives around 600 miles from me! We met via Twitter due to some interesting circumstances that were certainly lead by God's hand. We connected easily over our humor and love for and faith in God. It feels like we've been friends for so long, although we only found each other a couple months ago.

There are pals who I haven't actually sat down and had a real conversation with, but I still light up when I get a Snapchat from or see them around; ones who I may have just one inside joke with, one mutual friend, or one or two encounters with; pals who I'd like to be closer to, but just haven't had the opportunity. I have a number of pals that would be there for me or just cheer me up, no questions asked, and vice versa. Most of them I've never even spent a considerable amount of time with. When I think of this, it makes my heart soar knowing how many people care for me without even really knowing me. They make my heart just as happy as my best friends do.

My hope is that now you do know who you are so I can tell you, "Thank you!" Without you, life would be a little less exciting and a lot more lonesome.