Every year it comes. Valentine’s Day. Some people love it. Some people dread it. Some people think it’s a holiday invented by Hallmark…they could very well be right. But at the end of the day, it’s just supposed to be a time to really celebrate the people in your life that you care about, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

I have so many people in my life that I care about and who care about me, and I would do anything for them. I have an incredible family whom I love to pieces. This article, however, is about my friends, because honestly, I don’t know what I would do without them.

This Valentine’s Day I want to thank my people, my best friends, who consistently and unconditionally show me how much they love me 365 days a year, not just one. The people who excel in loving me when I’m at my worst and cheering me on when I’m at my best.

I have an amazing network of friends from childhood, high school and college that I am so fortunate to have in my life. They build me up, they rally around me, they are my rocks. Best friends are the people who talk sense into you when you’re being an idiot, drive you to cookout at 1 in the morning for life chats to sort out the mess we call life, laugh with you, cry with you, vent with you, and everything in between.

They’re the people that will go out with you even if they are exhausted, will drop everything if you really need them, will dance like a fool with you, have excessive carpool karaoke sessions belting out the latest “jam” with the sunroof down flying down the road without a care in the world. They are the people who can cheer you up with just a hug, who can make you laugh so hard you can’t breathe, who always know the right thing to say, but also know when to listen. They know you better than anyone else, sometimes better than you know yourself.

So this Valentine’s day I just want each and every one of you to know how much you mean to me. To all of my best friends and there’s too many to list and post photos of, but you know who you are, thank you. Thank you for being amazing friends. Thank you for just being there, for showing up consistently and without hesitation. I love each of you so incredibly much.

So Happy Valentine’s Day to all my Nugs!

xoxo, Mads