To My Best Friend, Who Happens to Be A Boy,
Thank you for helping me defy all social odds. You came to me in seventh grade, when "cooties" bacteria were just starting to wither away. People began to snoop out of curiosity and insecurity. The rumor mill began to fly that we were 'in love', dating, one of us more obsessed with the other, and, well, the list could wrap around the world (twice over).
When in reality, I had just found my person.
Someone who understands your thoughts, can finish sentences for you, looks out for you, and encourages you. But an equal amount of time, if not greater, is spent in another way. Spending time fighting, or being a little bit too harsh on each other out of care. Caring so much, to a fault sometimes. But, as my best friend, you were always the one to tell me the things that I did not always want to hear, not because you were looking to hurt me, but because you were interested in my growth.
You have always kept me safe, something like a brother.
I have never been worried when I am with you because you protect me as your own, and I appreciate having one other person to be able to stack on top of my arsenal of amazing, supportive people in my world. More importantly, to have another important male figure in my life that I get to look to for help, and to remind me of the way I should be treated, and never any less. How I deserve the best, and should never dream of settling.
More importantly, I have had the chance to watch you explode of a shell I used to see you in. A smart young man, with his head screwed on right, but, simply put, had some growing up to do. And you have done just that. I am proud of the feats we have accomplished in our friendship through some of the roughest moments of both of our lives. Appreciate the things you have sacrificed, or gone out of your way to do, to make sure that I was still happy at the end of the day.
I couldn't imagine, just how different my life would be, how much of a different person I would be without you're encouragement, and life lessons learned!
Cheers to those years, and cheers to many more.
