It’s hard to say how many birthdays we’ve celebrated together, how many milestones we’ve reached since our friendship began, or how many laughs, tears, and gifts we’ve exchanged over the years.
We’ve seen each other through braces, glasses, new houses, new jobs, heartbreak, healing, and everything in between.
As a kid, I’d always wanted the kind of friendship you see in the movies. The two girls that grew up next door to each other, did everything together and became lifelong best friends. And despite not living next door to each other, the Gods of the universe still managed to put our little curly-haired selves in each other’s paths.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
We really have grown up together. I can still remember being in the second grade when you had a blonde afro and I had extraordinarily crooked teeth.
Now, as you begin your last year as a teenager, I have some things I’d like to tell you.
I have always admired your strength. The way you’re able to push through any situation, no matter how difficult, is inspiring. I’ve seen you come apart, break down, and pull yourself back together within 24 hours, and it never ceases to amaze me.
Thank you, for being one of the most loyal people in my life. Since I met you, I’ve confided in you countless times — some were big secrets, burdens you didn’t ask to carry, and yet you never told a soul. You have carried all of my secrets so close to your heart and never treated me any differently because of them.
You have grown so much since I met you (not height-wise though, you’ve always been short). I have been fortunate enough to be in your life as you’ve discovered who you are and found your place in the world.
Thank you for going on adventures with me, and for putting on the most entertaining concerts during our car rides. Thank you for sitting with me in silence, without question, when you can tell I don’t feel like talking. Thank you for calling me out and putting me in my place when I need it. Thank you for being down for anything, for helping me push my boundaries and for being such a great ally to me for as long as I’ve known you.
Thank you for keeping me sane, even when I’m convinced I’ve gone crazy.
The best thing about our friendship is our ability to go for days, even weeks without speaking or seeing each other, and still being able to pick up at our last conversation like no time has passed at all. No matter how far away we are, I’ve always known that I can count on you to cheer me up or listen as I rant about the idiots I’ve encountered throughout the day.
As the author, Sarah Dessen once wrote, “Life is an awful, ugly place not to have a best friend.”
Thank you for making my life less awful and less ugly, and I hope your nineteenth trip around the sun is the best, most rewarding year yet. Happy Birthday.