Wowzers, it's hard to believe that we've been best friends for five years now. In case you forgot how much you mean to me, here's a reminder.

Thank you for sticking around this long

Thank you so much for our friendship. I can't believe you've put up with my kooky, quirky, crazy self for this long. You've dealt with my spastic high school self and all of my internal conflicts that only 17-year-olds can have. You've remained after my move to college put an hour and a half between us. You've stuck around through us both having school and work and seeing each other less and less. You've stayed by my side through all of it, and I can't say the same about anyone else.

Thank you for dealing with all of my emotions

At this point, I'm 99% sure you've seen all of my emotions from sad to enraged to happy to just plain high on life. Being my best friend, you're the one who gets to hear me squeal obnoxiously about things you couldn't care less about or listen to me rant endlessly about people or things you know nothing about. But you deal with it. And I'm eternally grateful for it. For so many things in my life you are the only person that knows about it, so if I want to talk about it, you are the only person I can go to. And considering how much I like to talk, it means that you hear about whatever the topic is a lot. But you never complain and give as much advice as you can even if you can't relate to the situation.

Thank you for telling me how it is

We've known each other so long we can't even offend each other anymore. We know that whatever comes out of our mouths is out of love and goodness for the other person. And I appreciate that so much. Whenever I am being irrational or stupid, you tell me. Sometimes I get blinded by what's happening or sometimes I don't recognize my own worth... but you're there to remind me who I am and what I deserve. And you don't sugarcoat it. You lay it all out there. The harsher it sounds the more I realize just how bad whatever I am doing is and know it's time to change my ways.

Thank you for knowing me better than anyone else... and letting me be the same for you

No one else has the history we do or knows me better than you do. Whether that be a result of sheer time or comfort or chance... it's probably a mixture of all three. You know me well enough to know when I'm not being myself and depending on the way I'm acting, you probably know the exact reason why too. You know secrets about me that no one else knows and you know my quirks... quirks that we've come to share over time.

Also, I know you better than anyone else, which is an honor. It's not easy for you to open up, so the fact that you do means more than you'll ever know to me. I know that there is stuff you still hold back, but I know it's just who you are. I'm certain that when you want me to know about it, you'll tell me. And I'm 100% okay with that.

Thank you so much for being the person I go to whenever something important - or something not important at all - happens. I know you are always there for me, no matter what.