One of the most important things for a child is their best friend and as time goes on you get more and more, but as we get older you start to disconnect with many people. The one person who will always be there from start to finish is your first friend, your childhood best friend. While most meet their childhood best friend in elementary school, which leads to years of playdates, sleepovers, birthdays and being in the same class. I met my first best friend when we were in preschool at four years old, while most would think meeting your best friend at the age of four would mean decades of memories, birthdays, pictures and so much more. You couldn't be more wrong, after meeting her in preschool, we parted our own ways and went to, two different elementary schools and didn't find each other and become friends again until we were in eighth grade. Since having her as one of my best friends again I wouldn't want to have met anyone else at the age of four and still be my best friend at 20 years old. This article is for you Gina!

Dear Best Friend,

What I'm about to say you've heard in every single Instagram post, Facebook post or birthday card for the past like eight or nine years, but there isn't enough ways or times I can say how much I love you as my best friend. We've been friends for 17 years now and I honestly can't believe it! One minute we were little 4-year-olds, where I was taller than you going through preschool and now we are big 20-year-olds, where I'm still taller than you going through this crazy thing called life, but either way I wouldn't want anyone else by my side for the entire ride! As I'm writing this I've looked back on the past nine years of memories and all I can say is I'm very glad that you are one of my best friends, I don't know what I would do without you! From having a lifetime worth of pictures together from every single event we've been to together, all our memories in marching band and doing shows together to just hanging out (which needs to be done really soon)! I was lucky to find a friend like you all the way back then when we didn't know what life was going to be like, but I can say mine has been fun with having you apart of it. They say people come into your life for a reason, and I know that to be true because I have you.

We've done a lot together in the past 17 years which has technically been nine years, but I wouldn't trade our very unique friendship for the world. We started school together and we are going to end life together. From our miss match day on my birthday in preschool (i recently found a picture of me from that) to taking your water bottle from you every day during lunch in ninth grade to just hanging out with Mrs. Zanni senior year of high school. As we have gotten older and are still getting older by the day, (we are going to be 21 already next year, life needs to slow the hell down) we have gotten caught in our own lives. Even though we go days and months without a single text, and that's more than okay because you don't need to text someone every minute of every day to be their best friend. Snapchat keeps us up to date anyways and when we finally do see each other again, it's like nothing has changed. I never have to worry that I will lose you as one of my best friends because even when we go what feels like forever without talking I know we will pick up right where we left off. There are no limits in our friendship because we have built a friendship that will last forever, and that I'm extremely proud and thankful for.

Thank you for opening your love for theatre to me and making me love it too (and showing me some pretty cool people down at James Street). Thank you for never being judgmental towards me. Thank you for dealing with my craziness sitting next to me in Mrs. Zanni's class senior year. Thank you for letting me be annoying towards you and you not caring (too much). Thank you for always remembering to be our photographer for us when we went to events together and us always getting that perfect lighting. Thank you for being a loyal and cool friend. Last and most important, thank you for being you!

You have and will always be my person through all these years, even though we did part our own way for some years. I know that no matter how far away we get from each other in this world, you will always be a text, call, facetime call or Snapchat away. You've been there for the fun, weird and crazy times but also gave an ear when I needed it. But most important, let's not forget senior year when I would call you short every day and you pushed me down the stairs once! I gotta say, it was totally worth getting pushed down the stairs! You were one of the lucky people there to witness me actually wearing a dress twice (my sweet 16 and your sweet 16) , I haven't worn a dress since then. As I'm looking back now, there have been many moments of memories between us and I'm more than happy that you never left and were able to experience them with me.

You have and I know you will continue to be a constant thing in my life. I'm not letting you leave my life even if you wanted to, so sorry to tell you, but you're stuck with me. Your words of encouragement and feedback is something I always think about, especially when writing my articles each week (like this one). I could never be able to show you how much you've impacted my life, but I guess since meeting you all those years ago it was bound to happen some day.

When you read this I want you to know how much I love and miss my best friend! I'm so happy and honored to be able to call you one of my life long best friends. I have no idea what I would do without you(even though I don't get to see you as often as I would like). As I'm looking at the future and excited to see what our lives will be like, I'm more than happy to have you apart of it, I'm ready to experience the world with you in my life. Here's to making it to 17 years of our friendship, and I'm ready for many more years and even more memories.

Love you forever,

Your best friend for life.

I would like to give a special shout out and thank you to my best friend since we were 4 years old Gina, for dealing with all my craziness for all these years.