First of all, let me say a huge thank you. You have no idea how you've helped me by being there.

Second of all, let me thank you for being my friends. You had a choice of who you wanted to hang out with and, thankfully enough, you chose me. God only knows why, but you did.

You guys are my shoulders to cry on when I thought nobody else could care. You all hold me together at times when I think I will forever be falling apart. You're the people who never let me down.

I disagree with the idea that "family will always be there for you." Sometimes things happen. Family leaves, family disappoints you, so on and so forth. However, I have never had a friend that I cared about immensely and trusted with my life leave my side. When I come to you guys with personal problems, you all are always quick to respond with how much you love me and how you could never leave me alone, on my own.

You all never push me to talk about things I'm not comfortable talking about. You never raise your voices at me when I make a mistake. You never have to ask me how I'm feeling, because you all just know. You guys know by the way I talk, the way I text, the way my face looks, the way I make my gestures. You guys know me better than I could ever know myself.

You guys act as my grandparents and go with me to get ice cream. You guys are my moms when I need advice. You guys are my siblings when I need a good beat down, or just feel like arguing. You guys are my dads when I need life changing advice, or when a boy that broke my heart needs a beat down.

Most importantly though, you guys are my friends. We may fight and not see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but I can always count on you all to walk beside me and not in front of me. I can always expect a hand from you when I reach mine out. I always know that when I do something questionable, or something I'm not proud of, you all can put me back in my place and not judge me too hard, because odds are that one of you has already done something worse.

Thank you for everything you do for me, and thank you for everything you will do for me in the future. When your family are your best friends, that's the best family one can ask for.