Dear Best Friends,

To be honest, my life would be quite dull without you. I think of the moments that we’ve spent together; playing with Barbie dolls, spending countless sleepovers giggling over Disney Channel movies, calling dibs on the Jonas Brothers, taking road trips where the windows were rolled all the way down and the music was way too loud for our ear drums to handle, etc. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I wouldn’t have had those memories any other way. Let alone with anyone else. You both stood by me during the awkward stages of puberty (stages that nobody wants to remember), showed grace and compassion during times where I didn’t deserve after the fights we had and gave me a strong solid foundation everyone needs through the turbulence of life. I love you both more than you know — and I hope that you truly know that.

Enough with the old memories, though. The past is the past, and I want to take the time I have to tell you that even though I loved you guys with all of my heart back then,and I cherish the time we have together now even more. I admire you both so much. You both have your quirks, your connections and your feelings to things that only have special importance to you. In that moment, there is nothing I can do but admire and smile from afar because for those seconds, minutes or hours. You are in complete happiness and that makes incredibly proud and happy. The compassion that you both radiate is something I can only wish to accomplish. You have been my shoulder to cry on through the bad times, the friends who picked me up and dusted me off when the only thing I felt like doing was crawling into a hole, and you have no idea how much I love you for that.

When they say that laughter is the best medicine, they aren’t lying, and the laughs that have been passed between us can cure even the worst mood. When I am with you both, time stops. Instead, time is measured with hugs, laughter and bags of chips. Endless bags of Lays Sour Cream and Onion potato chips. We have seen each other at our highest highs and lowest lows, but isn’t that what being best friends entails? It can’t be perfect all of the time — we are perfectly imperfect. But if that perfectly imperfect is both of you, then that is pretty close to perfect for me.

I know now I may see one of you more than the other, but time and distance are no match for a friendship that has been around for 12 years. My best memories have been with you. You have both made me who I am today, and I thank you for that. Watching you grow into the beautiful, strong, young women you are today has been anything less than extraordinary. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I can’t wait for our future together; all of us graduating college, getting places of our own, being in each other’s weddings, the play dates with our kids, being those old timers getting coffee and going to water aerobics together. I know this is a friendship that will last a lifetime.