It sounds corny, I guess, to consider your friends more like your brothers and sisters. But I do anyway. For some of us, we are closer to some of our friends than we have ever felt to some members of our family. Blood is thicker than water seems kind of like a bullshit excuse after a while.

Loyalty is what makes you family. The fact that you have stuck around when I needed you and you have stuck around when I thought that I didn't need anyone. You have been my shoulder to cry on, you have been my bodyguard and you have been my partner in crime.

I cannot thank you enough for the sleepless nights we have spent talking about everything from our elementary days to our stupid jokes to our wild plans for the future. I cannot thank you enough for listening to me even when everything that came out of my mouth seemed like nonsense.

Thank you for always having my best interest at heart, even if it was not what I wanted to hear at the moment. It was what I needed to hear, and thank you for understanding that.

Thank you for taking me into your home when I was locked out or too far away from my own. Thank you for having me over for breakfast or lunch or dinner. Thank you for making me seem like a part of your family -- thank your family for welcoming me in, as well.

We have had our ups and downs. Our high points and our falling outs and our friendship have only gotten stronger because of it. Thank you for forgiving me when I messed up and thank you for patching up the holes when it was your mistake.

Thank you for forgetting about our differences or disagreements when it really came down to it. Thank you for being able to put all the petty shit behind us for our own benefit.

Thank you for always being one phone call away, even if it was at four in the morning and you were dead asleep. Thank you for thinking of me when you make plans or stop somewhere to get coffee. Thank you for knowing when I need coffee, and when I need a bottle of wine instead.

Thank you for offering to pay for me for movies or dinner so I would never have to miss out, even if you could barely afford it. Thank you for hanging out with me even when there was not anything to do. Thank you for the days that we have spent inside doing nothing but being in each others company.

I don't know where I would be today if I didn't grow up with you by my side. It has not always been an easy ride, but it's definitely been a fun one. There is no one else I would rather call my family. I can only hope that one day my kids can grow up and experience the same kind of friendship I experience every day. Last but not least, thank you for becoming not just my best friend, but my family.