If you’re like me, you were lucky enough to have been blessed with a special person at a young age. Someone whom you met, and now you can’t even remember how because you’ve been friends for so long. Someone with whom you share endless inside jokes, an extensive history, and a non-blood related family. Some call them their "person." I call her Laura; inevitably, they’re called our childhood best friends.
We met when I was six and she was seven. She and her family moved into the house right next door. I can only faintly remember how we met, but I cannot deny that a bond formed between us right from the start. It didn’t take long for us to be spending all of our time together, and for us to form a relationship unlike any other I share today. I don’t think there’s a person in this world who knows so much (and that being probably too much) about me.
I do not take this relationship for granted, even with all the time we spend apart these days. Our friendship evolved as we did. It carried us through childhood, through puberty, and into adolescence, leaving neither of us behind, only allowing each phase to strengthen the connection we share. My best friend remembers me at my best and my worst, and I do for her, as well. We’ve survived loss, heartbreak, and disappointment, yet all the while still found ways to make the other cry tears of laughter, even in these lowest moments. This is an extraordinary comedic ability, and a kind of laughter I hope to have in my life forever.
I’m grateful to always have a “go-to.” A best friend like this you can count on for something as simple as a trip to the grocery store, but also to still be awake to help you work through your problems at 3 a.m. Incidentally, you end up being there for each other 24/7, and you probably can’t even remember a time your childhood best friend wasn't part of your life. In fact, in this sense the relationship almost feels supernatural. Do you get along too well if in the 13 years you’ve known each other you could probably count the amount of real fights you’ve had on one hand?
I have to continue to emphasize the peculiarity of this type of relationship. It extends far beyond the spectrum of friendship, and lands right in the realm of family. My best friend and I practically have our own language; an outsider would most likely have a difficult time in a room alone with us, especially since our conversations have reached a level of comfort that surpasses anything socially acceptable. Any childhood best friend can probably tell what you have to say, before you even say it. If anything, they’ll probably also say the exact words that come out of your mouth, at the exact same time.
Your childhood best friend may not be someone you would choose to be a friend at this age, but that’s what makes them so special. You could have grown up to be two people on two completely different paths, yet you understand each other like no one else. You want them to be your maid of honor, your children’s godmother, and by your side for the rest of your life. You’ll probably never escape this person’s friendship, but that’s exactly how you want it to be.
Who else would you grow old and own 50 cats with if you actually did manage to escape them, anyways?
