As far back as I can remember we were inseparable. Every weekend we were at one another’s house and every summer we basically lived in the same house. Your parents were my second family just like mine were to you. We would stay up late at night talking about school, boys, basketball and how we wanted our lives to be when we grew up. We made it through elementary school, middle school, jr. high and high school with many ups and downs, but we made it together. After graduation our friendship changed. We decided to take different paths for our lives. Even though I ended up attending college three hours away, we tried to stay just as close but eventually failed.

Everywhere I go I’m reminded of you. Our favorite songs come over the radio often and make me wish you were riding shotgun to sing and dance to them with me. There are so many things I wish I could tell you that I can’t anymore. Watching Never Back Down and 8 Seconds make me wish you were laying on the couch next to me quoting every line. Being home makes me miss spending time with you and your family and you with mine. Going to the lake in the summer makes me remember us wiping out countless times on the tube. And TimeHop especially makes me miss you because your picture is on there nearly everyday.

We had so many plans for our lives. Wherever we ended up in life we made promises after promises to always be best friends. We planned to live right next door to one another after we eventually got our lives together and in order. We were like sisters, so it’s no question that we would each be an aunt to one another’s future kids. You would be the wild, crazy aunt and I would be the aunt that held sleepovers and gave them all popsicles. And we vowed that if our kids ever put us in a nursing home we’d break out of there and travel the world just you and I.

Life has a funny way of working out, doesn’t it? Growing up sucks. We had to start putting ourselves first. We had to make plans for ourselves regardless of what the other was doing. We both knew we were drifting and growing apart. For some reason our lives stopped overlapping and we stopped running in the same circles. I moved off to a school three hours away to become an elementary teacher and I honestly have no idea what you’re doing. And no matter how badly our friendship ended the times we shared and the infinite memories we made will always be close to my heart.

Just because we aren’t best friends and in each other’s lives anymore doesn’t mean I don’t think about you. I always wonder where you are, what you’re doing with your life and if you’re okay. I wonder if you’ve found someone who will love you and treat you the way you deserve. I wonder if you’re happy or if you’re settling. And I wonder if you wonder about me.

Some friendships are meant to last a lifetime. I now see that ours wasn’t. You were my best friend for nearly twelve years and that’s something I’ll never forget. The stories we have are some that I’ll tell to my grandkids one day, and the rest will stay with me because no one can hear those!

I’ll always be secretly rooting for you and hoping your life becomes all that you want it to be. Maybe one day when we’re older and have our lives together our paths will cross again. But for now, I wish you nothing but the very best. I hope you confide in the Lord and trust in His plan for your life. I pray you stay away from those who will lead you astray and always guard your heart. Don't forget to chase your dreams and never apologize for doing what you love. And I hope you never base your worth on someone’s opinion of you or whether or not some boy likes you.

Love you always.