Years ago, when girls lived vicariously through their doll houses, Barbies, Bratz dolls, and vivid imaginations indoors and outdoors, it was hard to find a friend who shared your creative visions for play time. Growing up with an older brother made me appreciate the outdoors more with all the scraps, cuts, and bruises playing in the woods gave me, but sometimes all I wanted to do was get lost playing with my doll houses. I had plenty of friends come over and play, but one day a stranger came into my home. I did not know what to expect or how to act with an unfamiliar face coming into my house. My mom told me “you will like her, she is a year older than you. Her mom and I work together and she needs a babysitter.” My first thought was “I hope she likes Bratz dolls” and little did I know what was about to happen.

The morning came for this stranger to come into my house and as soon as she walked in we instantly clicked. She had the same creative imagination as me, loved to play with Bratz, and loved the same type of music. We bonded over Disney Channel shows, favorite foods, and teen magazine that was full of the High School Musical stars. She was my best friend as a child and we did everything together. Not one weekend went by when we weren’t together. If we were apart, it felt like forever. Family trips to the beach, you can guarantee we were together. Life just was not as fun without my best friend by my side.

Over the past 15 years of friendship, interests, clothes, personalities, and hair styles changed (thank the Lord for that), but one thing remained… Our friendship. We share everything with each other and no one else understands our weirdness. Our parents tell us to go out and be productive. My best friend and I’s version of productive is getting together, going to buy food, and lay on the couch watching cheesy Netflix movies or Gossip Girl and play the Sims. Because if you are going to be bored you might as well find someone to be bored with. We have countless inside jokes that only make sense to us, songs that will forever be our anthems, and a never ending love for High School Musical and the Jonas Brothers.

Having a best friend as a child is the bomb.com, but having the same best friend 15 years later is a blessing. Because that person is your family, lifeline, partner in crime, but someone that will always be there for you no matter what’s going on in their world. My best friend is not just a friend, but she is also my sister. I cannot thank God enough for giving me a beautiful, perfect best friend/sister all those years ago. I get excited thinking about what is ahead for both of us because I know we will be best friends till the end.