Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a tried and true best friend. Well, I have three, and believe me, I do not throw the "BFF" word around lightly. I have three ride or die chicks, and they have all come into my life at different times. So before you roll your eyes and think, "Ugh, another 'friendship' post," let me tell you about Crown Vic.
Victoria and I met when we were 12, I think? It's funny. She's the type of friend that you can't remember not having. She's just always been there, and coincidentally, we've been through everything together. Awkward stages. Summer camps. Slumber parties. Holidays. Goodbyes. We've been through it all, with particular emphasis on that last one. Victoria and I have shared more goodbyes than most friendships. She moved to Oklahoma in 2009, and I remember, with perfect clarity, her breaking the news to me. I thought she was joking for half a minute, but then reality hit like a ton of bricks. However, against the odds, we stuck it out. Our friendship was stretched by her relocation, both literally and figuratively, but we learned to grow independently without growing apart. 
I can promise you that it wasn't always easy, but it was always worth it. Ideally, long distance means meeting in the middle, but realistically, it is meeting them where they are, and vice versa. If you go into it expecting perfect balance, then you are destined for disappointment. The older I get, the more I realize that relationships are a give and take but always a choice. You have to choose that person, and Victoria chose me the day I needed her the most. Our dear childhood friend had just passed away, and I was asked to speak at the funeral. It is, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and Victoria stood by my side with unfailing love and support the entire time. 
We helped each other get through, and that is what we have always done. We are quite different, but we give each other perspective. She's a free spirit, and I am not, but thankfully, I don't bore her with my mother-isms.
Well, it was Junior year at Texas A&M when Kristen Kay entered. She is my forever roommate, even though she has already graduated, and good golly do I miss our time together!
Our friendship started slow and easy, and like a turtle, it eventually won the race. I used to leave Kristen notes ALL of the time. I'd write random inconsequential stuff, most of which were on Snoopy stationery. I'd just slide them under her door, so she'd be surprised in the morning. I never thought much of it. Until one day, I was rummaging through her bathroom for a hair tie (or bobby pin or who knows what), and I found all of the notes stored in her drawer. I'm smiling now as I recall this moment because it's kind of how I see our friendship. Everything with Kristen is a memory. Nothing is dull with her. She is vibrant and beautiful and exudes liveliness.
She is one of a kind. Her heart is humongous. It makes you feel full just being in her presence, and after I transferred to A&M, her love helped me transition to a life of independence. I will never be able to thank her enough for giving me a home away from home.
And now that it's Senior year, Miss Faith Watkins has taken the stage.
I have known Faith for a little more than a year, and let me tell you, she is incredible. A helper. A good listener. A fishing buddy. An encourager. The best dinner date. And a little fountain of wisdom. That's Faith. I don't know what I did without her because her simple factual understanding has helped my convoluted overthinking. I'm like a merry go round. I tend to fixate on issues but not Faith; she shoots straight. She's taught me a lot, and I only hope she's learned a thing or two from me.
Oh, did I mention that she was easy to be around? Because she is, there's no one I'd rather Netflix or do pilates videos with, even though we end up laughing and can't finish the ab workouts. Basically, she's great. Everyone needs a little bit of Faith in their life.
Anyways, y'all get the picture. Each of these ladies is completely different, and they all came into my life at separate times, but they are each irreplaceable. I'm goofier with one, more sarcastic with the other, and punnier with another. I'm different with each, and similarly, the relationship is unique, but something they all have in common is that they make me better. I am a better woman for the friends that I have, and I can't thank them enough for the ways they have enriched my life. Three's company. Here's to my best friends.
