Dearest Forever Friend,

I wanted to let you know, that I am so happy for your presence in my life not only today, but every day. It is hard to believe we have been friends for so many years now as it feels like just yesterday I met you for the first time. Let's go back a couple years to high school, where you and I first met. We each had our own friend groups and we did not hang out with each other.

The only way I knew about you was through a mutual friend we shared at the time and knowing you were in my math class because you sat in front of me. For the longest time, I thought you hated my guts because you never laughed at the jokes I would crack in class.

As if our friendship was fate, I got paired to be your bowling partner at a school fundraiser. From that moment we became friends, not the best of friends quite yet, but it was a start. After a few months of getting to know each other, we began to learn that while we are very opposite, we are also very much alike. It's funny to think there was ever a time where you and I did not like each other.

Even when we went to different schools for a year, you were the only one who tried to stay in contact with me. We would go months without seeing each other or talking, but each time we got together it was like no time had passed. You then became my first college roommate and everyone said after the semester we would be sick of each other and it might ruin our friendship.

I believe those six months of living together actually had the opposite effect on us because now we can barely go a week without seeing each other or let two days pass without sending an "Are you alive?" text. Now that we are juniors in college, I am so glad that freshmen year did not drive us apart.

I have been fortunate to walk beside you in life and see how you handle every obstacle life throws at you. While I believe you have handled everything that has been thrown at you with grace and dignity, I hope you know that I will always have your back when you need me.

Through all the years, we have seen the good, bad, and the ugly together, and I am happy to say that while some of those memories were painful at the time, we are now able to look back at some and laugh. I am truly blessed to be able to call you a friend because I have never had anyone stick by me the way you have. I am sassy, sarcastic, blunt, and sometimes downright annoying but yet you just laugh and smile through it all.

You have a gift of making everyone you meet feel special and leaving a lasting impression with your infectious laugh. There is no one else I would rather have by my side as we figure out the confusing times that our twenties bring. If we could survive the teen years together, I know we will remain in each other's lives forever, even if we no longer live nine minutes away from each other.

I look forward to the future obstacles we will tackle together and for the many more laughs/pie slices we will share. Thank you for being a gem in a world full of dull rocks. I am forever grateful for being randomly paired with you at that lame bowling fundraiser.