There are a lot of things I am grateful for in this life, but there is a group of people that make it oh so special. My pals. My homies, my "squad," my BFFL’s. You know who you are, hopefully…. if not, I am failing you as a friend.

People come in and out of our lives much faster than we notice, but the ones who decide to stay, are the true MVP’s. They are the people who laugh with you, but also the ones who are there when you need a good cry. What an amazing gift that is. To give so much of your heart to someone that you would comfort them, stand up for them, love them and keep them afloat no matter the circumstance with only their word or previous actions to prove they would do the same for you.

I may be biased, but my friends are the best, and I have the evidence to show it. Weekly sleepovers when there’s no early class for either of you. Much needed trips to Starbucks where you talk about the boy you like and even more crucial trips to Starbucks to talk about the boy who hurt you. Target adventures that usually result in an awkward story to laugh about later on. Buying matching sweaters just to cop a deal. Rides home from the library when it’s a little too dark and chilly for a walk home. Random FaceTime dates, even if you saw each other 15 minutes before. Spontaneous McDonalds runs for 20 $5 nuggets and guilty pleasure fries. “Homework dates” at café’s that, lets be real, never end in much homework getting done. Showing up to your house with Cheetos and frozen pizza to comfort your hurting heart, and even if you burn that pizza it is okay because friendship conquers all. Hundreds of weird photos, plenty of honest advice, countless random texts, a healthy amount of cuddles, a million laughs and a bond that can’t be broken.

I have made an enormous amount of friends over the course of my life thus far, which is great, but the past year has proved to me how lucky I am to have the specific people who are here for me now. I am in love with the idea that I have at least 5 incredibly close friends that would do anything for me and drop whatever may be on their mind for me. I can only hope that these people believe deeply that I would do the same for them.

It’s absolutely crazy to me that some of my greatest friends have only been in my life for a year or less. My intuition tells me that these are the people I was meant to meet, we have crossed paths for some incredible and beautiful reason. The ones who connect to you on a level that is only found in the purest and truest places of the heart, are the ones who will love you on the days where you can’t find the strength to love yourself.