To the girl who's dreamed about love her whole life,

I'm right there with you. The kind of love we're looking for isn't going to be found in a romantic partner; it exists between friends. Not just casual friends that we hang out with on the weekends, the kind of friends that we need. We all saw the movies and shows that had the two inseparable best friends or the dynamic friend group that magically all got along so well. They could practically read each other's minds and went through every trial and tribulation side by side. We grew up thinking that those are the kind of friendships we are going to have. But why does it seem so unattainable?

I've realized that finding the right friends is just like dating. In fact, I have learned more about myself through the successes and failures of friendship than I have through dating. Friends see every side of you and often times, last longer than any romantic relationship. Unlike dating, where there tends to be a period where you feel like you constantly have to put your best foot forward, the friendship requires you to drop all the acts and be completely yourself. I'm the kind of person that seeks out meaningful friendships, the ones where you feel 100% safe being yourself and genuinely enjoy being around each other. It sounds simple but in my experience, has been so hard to find.

I've built meaningful friendships that emulated the ones I admired growing up and then realized it wasn't really what I thought it was. There have been friendships that the other person ended, ones that I let fade, and only one where I truly ended it like a breakup. Each time I ask myself, is it me? Are my expectations too high? Am I looking for something that isn't possible to find? Or is it just a matter of I'm only twenty years old and God will place true friendship in front of me when I'm ready?

To the girl who's dreamed about love her whole life,

I hope you can see that through all this wondering on my end, that you're not alone. Seeking out a true friendship that fulfills you and keeps you isn't easy, and a lot of us feel the same way. Nobody has all the answers and though it feels impossibly lonely, know that things will eventually change. In a space where you feel like you have no one, know that you have yourself. Use this time to put yourself first. Friends will come and go, but we have to find peace in the fact that eventually, the right ones will stay. The ones that want to know you, make you laugh, understand your silence, and sing along with you to that one song you love so much.