Every girl has her best friends, her gal pals, the girls she does everything with. We all have the girlfriends who are always there to get your nails done with, go shopping with, grab something to eat with, or just hang out with. We all need these types of friends. But we often don't realize how important it is to have a guy in your life who isn't your boyfriend--a guy who will always have your back no matter what.

If you have the type of friend I'm talking about, consider yourself lucky. In my case, I met this guy when I was in elementary school. It wasn't until high school that we became the best of friends, but, regardless, he's been by my side ever since. He is the rum to my coke.

As a girl, it's important to have a guy who's not your boyfriend to turn to. Not your dad or your brother or any other relative; someone who sees your true colors, someone who understands you in every aspect of your life. More often than not, guys don't show their emotions easily, nor do they feed into nonsense. He's the type of guy to help keep your head on straight and tell you the truth when need be, even when you don't want to hear it.

When we need each other, we're always there. When he needs help picking out what shade of khakis to wear with what button shirt, you're honest. Or when he wants to know what shoes to wear, you can tell him that no, it's not a good idea to wear suede in the rain. Or when he needs a ride home late at night or early morning because his great idea didn't end up turning out too hot, you're there to rescue him. When your work shift is almost over and you're starving, he's there to take you to grab a bite to eat.

Twofers? We're there. Carvel's Wednesdays two-for-one ice cream sundaes, we never miss it. Granted, we might fight over whose week it is to pay, but we enjoy our ice cream. When we go on lunch and dinner dates, people always ask if we're a couple; we just laugh and look at each other, saying, "You wish". We jam out to throwback music because although you might not admit it to most people, you know all the lyrics just like me.

You will never be able to comprehend how important you are to me. Thank you for being my go-to and my wingman. Thank you for being my comic relief when I overreact over something foolish. Thank you for making sure I get what I deserve and never accept nothing less. Thank you for telling me when I'm being soft or when I need to grow some cajones and defend myself. Thank you for being a comfortable shoulder to lean on when I need. But most importantly, thank you for being you.