There’s a time in everyone’s lives that he or she realizes who their true friends are. Whether it’s in kindergarten, high school, college, or adulthood, this moment is such a definitive time in a person’s life. The most important realization, however, comes from your best friend. The type of friend that would drop anything to be there for you, be your go-to person whenever you want to hang out, and the friend that eventually becomes just as much a part of your family as you are. You know, your 2 a.m. best friend.

We all know that feeling; you feel like your world is crumbling down, you’re alone, and you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom? If you haven’t felt it yet, you most likely will, and even if you have already felt it, it’s likely you’ll feel it again. It’s all about the people that are there for you during the time you feel like this. That’s how you know who truly cares about you. That’s when I realized who my friends were, and most importantly, that my best friend was here to stay.

It had been an awful couple of months, and I had finally hit my breaking point. I was driving around in my car late at night, crying, and pulled over on the side of the road and just sat there. I called my best friend, feeling awful for waking her up, and she answered. Once she heard my voice, she immediately hopped in her car and drove to the spot I was sitting in my car. In the middle of the night. 2 a.m..

To my 2 a.m. best friend: thank you always being there.

I can never seem to put into words just how grateful I am to have a person like you in my life. You have laughed with me during my happiest moments, and gotten me through my saddest with nothing but compassion, empathy, and patience. I know sometimes I can be a lot to handle. I’m dramatic, picky, and a little bit (okay, maybe a lot) crazy. However, I have never felt like I had to be anything but myself when we’re together. All of these seemingly negative traits about myself transform into my greatest strengths when I’m around you.

Thank you for all of the things that you do for me. You’re every one of my boyfriend’s worst nightmare, because if they hurt me, you go after them. From pigging out on greasy, unhealthy food with me, watching unrealistic romance movies and crying together, to going on spontaneous road trips that we definitely couldn’t afford, you’ve always been there.

You are continuously supportive of my decisions, you recognize that I can’t always be strong, and you stay to face all of life’s problems with me. When I cannot be strong, you pick up the pieces and lift me up until I'm whole again. You know that when I am set on doing something, I’m going to do it no matter the consequence. When it ends well, you are there to celebrate with me, and when it ends badly, you are there to cry with me, rather than shoving an “I told you so” down my throat.

Thank you for always telling me the truth. In the end, it’s better to be hurt by the truth than to be comforted by a lie. Making honesty a priority hasn’t gotten me a lot of friends, but it has gotten me the right ones. Never have I ever had such a reliable, trustworthy, genuine friend that hasn’t left.

Thank you for being present even when we are apart. It’s easy to forget people when you don’t see them as often as you once had. That has never been an issue for us, and that is one of the many reasons I know that I’ll always have you to talk to, even if it is through Skype.

Thank you for being my person. The Cristina to my Meredith. The Jordan to my Kylie. The Monica to my Rachel. Too often, people seem to generalize that your soulmate has to be the same as the person you’re in love with, your boyfriend or girlfriend. Me, I found my soulmate in my best friend. Someone who can finish my sentences, someone who always knows how to bring me up when I’m down, someone who I can always turn to in times of need as well as times of joy. Knowing that I can count on you to be my maid of honor, the godparent of my future child, and the one who will wreak havoc in the nursing home when we’re old and senile gives me hope that my future will be a bright one since I get to take the journey with you.

I’m a better person for knowing you. Thank you for changing my life. Thank you for dropping everything to be with me in the middle of the night. Most of all, thank you for being you. I love you more than I love Sheetz mac n’ cheese bites. 2 a.m. best friends are the best friends, and I’m forever grateful you’re mine.