I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard the phrase "quality over quantity." I wish my past self would have taken that advice because it would have saved me a lot of heartache and challenging times throughout high school. Sometimes I still have to remind myself how important it is to have true friendships.

In high school, I was on the cheer team and everything was all about popularity. How many people did you know? How many people knew you? Were you a leader or a follower? I had multiple different groups of friends, but eventually, I realized that within all of those friends groups, there were very few people who ever actually acted like a friend to me. Friendships take effort and only work if both people put energy into the relationship. Your friends should lift you up, make you a better person and just make your life better overall. My best friend, Olivia, has been number one fan since day one and I could not be more thankful for her.

Olivia and I met when we were in third grade and were attached at the hip growing up. Unfortunately, we both moved several times, which was scary because we didn't know if we would remain friends. The distance was nothing but beneficial for our friendship; we became closer and closer the farther and farther we got. Not seeing each other every single day was tough at first, but now when we do get the opportunity to see each other, it is that much more special. We could talk on the phone for hours on end just catching up with each other; one phone call from her can brighten up my entire week. Writing this brief article reminded me why I love Olivia so much and why I'm so grateful to have her in my life; looks like I have a phone call to make!