I think so often, people think that having a best friend means that two people have to be the exact same person and share the same lifestyle. While having a friendship like that isn't a bad thing, it's not the most important thing.

My best friend Sam and I have been best friends for thirteen years. While we share a million similar interests and the same sense of humor, our religious and political views are different. And I think that during this day and age, those are things that tear so many people apart.

You see, being best friends with someone who doesn't share the same views as me has actually been such a blessing in disguise.

Over the course of thirteen years, I've learned the value and importance of seeing things from someone else's point of view. I've learned how to voice a differing opinion in a respect manner. I've learned how to listen and not only think about what I'm going to say next, but genuinely listen to what the person in front of me is saying. I've learned how valuable it is to respect someone else's opinion even though you may not agree with it. Learning about other people's views and why they have them has taught me so much about how to just interact with others.

I don't think hanging out with people who share the same beliefs as you is bad. I have many friends who share the same beliefs and lifestyle as me. What I'm saying is, don't rule out a friendship because of your differences.

We tend to see differences as weaknesses rather than strengths. Honestly, I think my friendship with Sam is stronger not only because of our differences, but because of the mutual respect we have for each other's views.

Sam's beliefs may be different than mine, but that does not make them less important.

And that goes for EVERYONE.