I seem to be a person who is obsessed with the idea of a soulmate, someone who I will instantly connect with and form an extremely powerful bond with. I share these deep thoughts about this idea of "soulmates" with my friend Maria, but the irony of the whole thing is that she pretty much is my soulmate. I have never met someone who compliments me so well and she's truly an angel. Maria is the first person I will text while in a sappy rage of sad feelings (which happens more often than one would think) and she provides the ultimate cure for these crazy emotions. The amount of comfort we have gained in talking with each other is something that is impossible to ignore when evaluating how far we've come as friends. The most important thing to note about our friendship is that we both have different struggles as humans, but we learn so much from each other and help each other to grow from experiences rather than pandering on them.

Maria (pictured right) and I at a friend's gigJacqueline Napier

Maria and I first became really close in our freshman year Biology class at our high school. We sat next to each other and I admired her sense of humor that some people were honestly scared of. We continued being friends throughout high school, having lunch together our senior year, and going to each other's graduation parties. Keeping in touch with her after high school was something that just seemed natural, because (not to be dramatic) Maria makes my life full. Today, Maria and I don't get to see each other as much as we used to when we were in the same building five days a week, but it seems like our friendship has only grown stronger. We text each other pretty much every day and whenever we get in the car together, the conversation erupts. The magic in our friendship is that we never run out of things to talk about, whether we're talking about zodiac sign compatibility or our favorite movies.

Maria and I at our Senior PromJacqueline Napier

Maria is the type of person who radiates happiness, even if she's not feeling the same way. She makes sure that by the end of any social event, everyone is a little bit closer to each other. Her personality shines through at all times and it is crazy how many friends I've made just from her ability to make conversation with almost anyone. I appreciate Maria so much in whatever form she comes in as she's acted as a wing woman, a therapist, and a best friend to me over the course of our relationship. I'm so grateful for her and if you're reading this and you have a friend like Maria, please let them know how much you appreciate them.