Since we were young, my best friend and I have been exact opposites of one another. She, equipped with a year-round tan complexion and milk chocolate colored waves that fall around even darker eyes; I, with golden hair framing blue eyes, all wrapped up in porcelain skin. I suppose you could say that our exteriors are as different as our characters. She has always been good with numbers, playing with flashcards in elementary school to test out her math abilities; I, on the other hand, could hardly be pulled away from any book area in my sight. I find it fascinating how, although we seem to have completely polar brain functions, our friendship becomes stronger as we go through life.

My best friend has always been the more rational and serious one. She may be described as left-brained, looking at every situation she is presented with as a problem to be solved or goal to be reached. Math class has always been her forte. She is most comfortable when given a specific that will lead her to an unquestionable and proven answer. Not to be underestimated, she is analytical far beyond the classroom as well. Regardless of the situation, she will be the first to buckle down and get whatever needs to be done, done. Countless times, I have seen the flip switch in her brain, as she narrows down the infinite possibilities to just a few logical solutions that she will then focus one, further analyze, and apply to solve the issue. A brilliant mind ticks away behind her skull. One that any person would be jealous of. Yet, although she can pick up any formula in a snap, if she were told to write a fairy tale, my best friend would be stumped. She would see no need for such illogical and impractical questions that do not seem to fulfill any purpose. She doesn’t think outside of her parameters because she sees no need to. She lives based on the evidence presented to her, never letting her mind wander to unrealistic possibilities. I have always admired the traits she possesses.

As for me, my mind has already floated far off into the universe. Rather than following any structured standards, I would prefer to sit under the night sky, my only company being a pencil and notebook that I will fill from margin-to-margin with poetry that comes from somewhere soul deep inside of me. During math class, I find myself daydreaming, doodling symbols into artwork, and questioning just who made up all that calculated junk anyway. In fact, I find myself questioning everything. I spend much of my time making up bizarre what-ifs about mesmerizing theories that swirl around every particle in existence. Unlike my best friend, my imagination runs wild; sometimes, it leads me to a masterpiece; other times, it leads me so far out of touch with reality amidst my divine thought journey. I can spend hours reading, drawing or writing, and have excelled in these subjects while I struggle with more analytical ones. I am every bit as artistic, creative, and open-minded as she is systematic, orderly, and meticulous.

People see us as each other’s inverses and wonder how we could possibly be so inseparable when we are so unalike. I believe it is because we recognize that neither one of us is any better than the other. We are linked because we utilize that the differences in us complement one another. Inklings of my creativity have rubbed off on her, just as there is now—thanks to her—a tiny analytical sector deep inside of me. Overall, we are drawn to one another because we appreciate that what one of us lacks, the other makes up for. We are the dynamic system, growing off of each other’s positives; it is clear that we are much more productive together than we are apart. Our dissimilarities, instead of being an opposing force between us, prove to be perfectly complementary; as the best of friends, we are the epitome of Yin and Yang.