Dear Childhood Best Friend,

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for always being there for me when I fell down and scraped my knee during recess, and when the mean kids would bully me. Thank you for not letting me be weird alone, and for joining me in my shenanigans. Thank you for welcoming me into your family. Because of you, I knew that I always had another home to run to when things got rough.

My dear friend, I love you. Over the years, we have grown apart. We live different lives. We like different things. However, our years of friendship have shaped my life and who I am. I am a better person because of you. I know how to laugh at myself when I make mistakes, and I know how to pick myself up when I'm having a bad day. You showed me what genuine friendship was.

Childhood friends are some of the most important friends you can make. You are truly special. You loved me through all of my phases. You loved me, even when I still didn't know how to love myself. You didn't care that I didn't wear makeup, or that my hair wasn't perfectly combed back. You didn't care that my house was a mess when you came over. You didn't care that all I could afford were clothes from cheap retail stores when other kids wore brand-name clothing.

I can never get rid of you in my life. Adolescent years are some of our most vulnerable years. You have enough photos and videos of me to blackmail me, and so do I, but we would never use it against each other. Time has changed our relationship, but our trust for each other has never faltered.

My dear childhood best friend, thank you for still loving me today. I may not see you as often, and we have drifted apart, but seeing you once a year is enough to remind me why we're still in each other's lives. When we get together, it's as if we never left each other's side; reminiscing over the good, the bad, and the embarrassing moments of our childhood.

Even when we fought, you never left my side. We were a pair. My mom called you her daughter, and my little sister saw you as another sister. My family would always ask for you at family functions. Ten years later, they still remember your name and ask for you. You are loved by many.

When God placed you in my life, I knew our relationship was destined for greatness. We've hit highs and lows together, and our relationship will forever continue. You are more than my childhood best friend. You are my family. You are my sister.

Dear childhood best friend,

Never give up on us, because I never will. We've still got many years to go!