Sick Kid (noun): a girl or boy that is diagnosed with a long term illness or disease that affects every aspect of their life.

I remember meeting her; that beautiful girl with the strawberry blonde hair and the bright smile. I had heard about her. She had missed the entire sophomore year of high school because she was in the hospital. I didn't know what was wrong with her, but I just knew she was sick--the "sick kid." And when I met her junior year, the stories they had told me didn't seem to make sense. She was so normal. So happy. For someone who was so sick for an entire year, she didn't look weak, she didn't look sick, and she didn't look upset that she had just missed an entire year of high school. Actually, she was one of the nicest people I had ever met. She must not have been that sick, right?

Fast forward two years. She is the best friend I have ever had. And she was that sick. She had Gastrointestinal Psuedo Obstruction Motility Disorder and Gastroparesis. She lived for weeks at a time with only a feeding tube for nutrition. She took seven to ten pills each and every morning to be able to live through the day. She would not eat any food, but continue to gain weight. Her bandages were switched on the tube in her stomach every couple hours, but 90 percent of the time, they got infected. She was a young advisory council member for Make-A-Wish foundation, a great friend, and a loving daughter and sister. She has a beautiful smile, a huge heart, and hope.

This is Gianna. This is my best friend.

Being best friends with the "sick kid" is one of the biggest blessings I could have asked for.

There are things people don't know about the "sick kids" that shaped the human being I am today, and the appreciation I have for my own life and the lives of others, once I learned them. People should how about difficult, yet so incredibly amazing, the lives of those with a long term disease or illness are, and why they should make rethink your perspectives on your own life.

Here's what most people don't understand about the "sick kids", and what I have learned from having a walking inspiration as my best friend and that we should all practice in our own lives:

1. You have no idea what each and every person might be going through. You do not know their story.

First things first, know this: not all "sick kids" are bald or in a wheel chair 24/7. If I had a dollar for every glare, every rude comment mumbled under their breath, or every rolled pair of eyes whenever parked in the handicapped parking space just to have a beautiful girl get out of the car, the money would be endless. Yes, she is pretty. Yes, she is handicapped. And no, she does not look like the "sick kids" portrayed in movies. We know. But she has an incredibly difficult day-to-day life and she will continue to park in the handicapped parking space because it hurts her to walk far across the parking lot. And yes, if you tell her that she "doesn't look handicapped", she will lift up her shirt and show you the tubes sticking out of her stomach, complimented by the 12 scars from her surgeries.

2. Nothing is guaranteed. And every experience is a gift.

They can't just plan a vacation or go to a prom, because sometimes, they won't know until days before if they are healthy enough to go. That school dance you had to miss for a wedding and were devastated about? Or that trip to Hawaii that got canceled after you waited months for it? Imagine what it would be like if that happened every. Single. Time. They learn to appreciate the times that they can go, and are tremendously thankful for them. Those experiences aren't guaranteed for anyone, but a sick kid grew up knowing this, and has acquired an appreciation for life experiences and milestones.

3. Life is not consistent and never will be. Live for today.

Sick kids experience this first hand every single day. The hardest thing was moving away from my best friend when I left for college, only to see texts and Facebook posts from her mother telling me that she was back in the hospital every couple of weeks. And this was just days after texts and Facebook posts saying that she was feeling pretty healthy. Sick kids live for each day, because they know that nothing will last forever; not their healthy days, or their days spent in pain.

4. Pain and suffering do not have to stop you from living a life of happiness.

They are smiling and laughing, but that doesn't mean they aren't in pain. The thing with sick kids is that they never feel well. But they hurt so often and have become so used to living with the constant pain that it becomes normal and they can continue living. So when you're confused as to why that girl that just spent a year in the hospital is so happy, as I was upon meeting Gianna, just know that they probably aren't feeling well, but they are so strong that they can fight through it and live their normal (not-so-normal) lives.

5. Life is truly a gift. Cherish it.

What a beautiful thing it is to see how much my best friend appreciates the little things in life. If she is in less pain than she is yesterday, it is a great day. Hell, if she makes it through the day without feeling nauseous, its a reason to celebrate. There is always a reason to celebrate the life you are living; always. You are alive.

Watching my best friend go through her day to day ups and downs and still continue to be not only the greatest friend I have ever had, but also the most genuine human being, has truly changed the person I am today. I am so incredibly thankful. She is the strongest person I know. The biggest gift I have, besides my healthy life, is my beautiful friendship with my "sick kid."