Although we don’t live a few minutes away from each other and we have to plan weeks in advance to see each other, you are my best friend. You will always be my best friend because distance does not matter when it’s with a person like you.
It has been almost four years since we lived less than two hours away from each other, yet our friendship still continues to be one of the best parts of my life. Even after three years of new friends, new experiences, and new challenges tackling the both of us, you’ve consistently been the best friend by my side.
You’ve been through everything with me. You were with me during our awkward middle school years where we would walk from school and spend all day in town until the football games. You were with me when we would wake up early in the morning to go to the baseball tournaments. You were there with me at all of my awkward house parties.
And you were there with me when I moved away. You helped make me a scrapbook that I keep in my closet at my new house. You were there to say goodbye.
But, unlike all of my other friendships from middle school, ours survived the distance. Yes, many of my friends kept in touch at first; everyone texted me asking how my first day of school went. But as time went by, less people checked up on me. I started getting less texts from my friends back at home.
But I never stopped getting texts from you.
Even though we were miles away from each other, you were there for my first day of school. You were there through every date I’ve ever been on. You were there for every fight I’ve ever had. You were there to listen to every rant I had about things you didn’t even fully understand. You were there through every time I’ve fallen in love with someone, and you were there through every heartbreak.
And I was there for you, too. I was there to help you pick out the best picture for Instagram. I was there to listen to the stories of back home. I was there for your strings of multiple texts. I was there for your heartbreaks too.
You’re my best friend because you have truly always been there for me. You never ignored my texts and you always listened when I needed you. You always gave me the best advice, whether I liked it or not. Even though I don’t see you in the halls, you have experienced my high school experience with me. We have cried together, laughed together, and celebrated each other.
You always manage to make me laugh at my phone screen in public. You’re the person that I refer to as my “best friend from my old school” when I tell stories about you (which I do all the time). Every time I’ve had a boyfriend, I’ve always felt like I had to “introduce you”—to explain to them who you are in my life and make sure they know how important you are to me.
Whenever I was unsure about something, whether it be an outfit, a boy, or a college, I always asked you. And it’s not like we talk every day—we can go weeks without talking and pick up right where we left off.
I never really get the chance to tell you how much you mean to me. Through our crazy texts filled with screenshots, Bitmojis, and stories told in all caps, is true friendship. A friendship where I don’t feel awkward telling you anything. A friendship where I don’t have to pretend to like anything more or less than I really do. A friendship where we can tell each other that we’re being completely stupid.
There have been so many times throughout high school that I wished you were here. I hate that I’ve never been to prom with you and I hate that we won’t be sharing the same stage at graduation. I hate those days when we both are sitting at home doing nothing and we can’t hang out. But even through all that, we never stopped being friends. We never stopped talking and we never stopped laughing about the same stupid stuff we laughed about in 8th grade.
So, Sarah, thank you for everything. Thank you for always being there when I needed you. Thank you for making me laugh all the time. Thank you for not being afraid to put me in my place when I was being stupid. Thank you for encouraging me to be the best person I can be.
Although you are miles away, you have made such an impact on my life and I hope you continue to. You have watched me grow and I have watched you grow, and although it was from a distance, I can certainly say that you have grown into an incredible woman who I am so proud to call my best friend. You are going to do incredible things in your life, and even though you’re only going to move farther away from me, I am confident that our strong friendship will allow me to be with you the whole way.
I love you, and I am your best friend, no matter what.
