I’m sure we have all had a best friend at some time or another. Good ones, bad ones, crazy ones, I’ve had them all. But what makes someone a “good” friend? In my opinion, a good friend is someone you can rely on, relate to, and most importantly, someone you can learn from. Here’s a few life lessons my best friend has taught me.

1. How to be a better friend

She is always there for me in times of need. Whether it be problems with other friends, family, or my significant other; I know my best friend will always be there to support me and have my back. From having an example of what a truly good friend is, I’ve learned to be one myself.

2. Space doesn’t define your friendship

We go to different schools, have different friends, and sometimes don’t talk for weeks at a time. But when we’re together, it’s the same friendship that we’ve had since the beginning. I know that someday when she’s living her life as a teacher in New Orleans and I’m up in Boston, we’ll still have the same friendship we do today.

3. How to be most inclusive

I was already a very accepting person, but by expanding my knowledge of her culture, she has opened my mind to different ways of thinking. This has led me to learn more about different types of people and helped me become an overall more inclusive person.

4. Family isn't always related

I don’t consider her a friend, she bypassed that into family status a long time ago. She has let me into her family and from being there for holidays, hard times, and everything in between, I feel as if her family became an extension of mine.

5. How important honesty is

She’s not the type of person who tells you what you want to hear. She’s honest, almost a little too much sometimes. She lets me know when I have a fake friend or she thinks my significant other sucks, and she definitely lets me know if I look bad.

6. To have ambition

She works so hard to get what she wants. Her dream is to be a teacher and writer so she spends hours studying so she can get her degree. Although she is only nineteen she has already written several books. Seeing her make things happen for herself inspires me to be as ambitious as she is.

7. To know your self-worth

The most important thing I’ve learned for her is my value. She would never let someone disrespect her. She wants the best for herself and will do anything to get it. By being around that kind of confidence and self-respect, I’ve gained those qualities as well.

So to my best friend, thank you. Thank you for being the person that I can rely on no matter what and for teaching me, not only about life but also about myself. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I had never had you in my life.