You can probably think of that one person who makes saying goodbye so hard -- that one person whom you never want to let go of, whom you always want by your side. For me, that’s the random girl whose door I decided to knock on the first week of college just because I had an overwhelming urge to do so. I didn’t know it at the time, but she would become one of the most meaningful people in my life. I’m proud to call her my best friend. She is that person I can’t picture life without. That person who makes me smile on my worst days. That person I feel completely and totally safe with. Everyone needs that person -- those people -- who make the sun shine a little brighter and the world seem a little better. And maybe we don’t deserve them. Maybe we don’t think we deserve them. But, we thank God every day that we have them.

Thank you for hugging me.

Thank you for letting me know how much I am loved. Whether I’m angry, grumpy, tired, depressed, or stressed, you never fail to take me into your arms when I need it most. Your embrace is so familiar and comforting. It makes me feel protected and at peace when the world seems to be crumbling before me. If I was in any scary situation, your arms are where I’d run to first -- always open and warm.

Thank you for making me a better version of myself.

Thank you for yelling at me until I get out of bed to go to class or to the gym. You motivate and push me to exercise my mind and body. You always encourage me to eat my fruits and vegetables. You refuse to distract me when my homework is piling up too high. You inspire me to attend church and practice the faith that gives me so much to live for. And above all else, you lead by example. You motivate, encourage, and inspire because you, yourself, embody all of the values you place upon me. You nourish your body, strengthen your mind, dedicate your brain, and surrender your heart. I look at you and see the person I want to become. I work hard every day to get stronger, braver and healthier because you see potential. You see something beautiful among my ruins. You tell me I can do it when I think I can’t. You make me better.

Thank you for being honest.

Thank you for disagreeing with me and for having your own opinion. You aren’t afraid to contradict the things I say. You don’t conform to every thought I spit out or emotion I feel. You are your own person and I admire that. I get to learn from your perspectives and outlooks. I always know that you will tell me the truth, even if it’s ugly or harsh. Why? Because you care. It’s better to learn the truth than to live a lie.

Thank you for spending Friday nights watching movies and talking.

Thank you for just wanting to get in pajamas and be lazy all night, laughing and crying to our favorite films. While everyone else is putting on makeup and heels to go party, we are underneath mounds of blankets with fuzzy socks and headphones. I’m grateful for your shared beliefs that just being with one another, with our eyes glued to a screen or our ears listening to one another, is enough to make a great night.

Thank you for having inside jokes.

Thank you for saying things that make me fall over laughing that anyone else would think is outright dumb. You pronounce words funny, call me names, or quote videos that send me into an immediate smile. I love that every other individual on this planet would just give us weird looks and think we are drunk, but that we completely and totally, in the most goofy and stupid way, get it.

Thank you for being a kid with me.

Thank you for chasing me down halls, throwing water at me in the bathroom, and racing me across campus. You are like my sister. We wrestle. We fight. We play. We get excited about the littlest things like taking a trip to get ice cream or making it to bed before 11 p.m. We cause so much chaos and ruckus that I’m pretty sure everyone else hates us, but we’re having too much fun to care. We have stopped elevators, run into walls, jumped on top of one another, and made tons of people on campus think we belong in a zoo -- or a preschool.

Thank you for making me thirsty for life.

Thank you for breathing hope and excitement into me. You have taught me that there is so much out there to be thankful and happy for. That every day is a blessing, not a right. You have taught me to just stop and admire. To take in the world around us because it’s a beautiful thing that doesn’t get enough praise or recognition. You have taught me to ache for distant places. To want to see the world and experience the cultures around us. You have taught me to give. This life is meant to help others. We are nothing if we are not benefiting and enriching the days of others. You have taught me to explore my dreams and to be ready, not afraid, to go get them.

Thank you for picking me up when I fall down.

Thank you for brushing off the dust and telling me to keep going. When I’m down on the ground, afraid to make my next move, you let me know that it’s OK. That everyone can be weak sometimes, but that I am strong enough to overcome. I have the wisdom. I have the ability. I have the power. I have me. I have you. I have God. Why fear? I will always have someone there to help me stand again.

Thank you for getting me excited about my future.

Thank you for planning homes, weddings, and kids with me. We now know where we are living, the cakes we are having, and how we are raising our children. And guess what? We are going to do it all with the other by our side. Best friends -- as always. I cannot wait to decorate my future house because you have shown me millions of Pinterest bedrooms and wall art. I cannot wait to teach my kids values and love because you have told me millions of stories about the beautiful individuals we have the power to raise. I cannot wait to create a future because you tell me every day that I am going to make a great one -- despite my flaws, doubts, and struggles, I will make a great one.

Thank you for being you.

Thank you for being the crazy, one-of-a-kind, weird, bizarre, spontaneous, energetic, fun, loving, caring, compassionate, down-to-earth, faithful, trustworthy, strong, beautiful, and incredible person you are. You aren’t just my best friend, but my role model. You inspire me day in and day out. You make me happy. You show me true strength and faith. You let me know how much I am worth and loved. You get me excited for each and every day. You give me something that makes saying goodbye so hard because, if it was up to me, I’d hold onto a friend like you forever.

There are a million things I could say thank you for, but I’m afraid your eyes would grow weary. Just know that no matter how far apart we are, how emotionally distant I may seem, or how unappreciated you may feel, I love you. From the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, I love you. I thank God every day for giving me the best gift in the world: you.