Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “best friend” as "one's closest and dearest friend.” I am lucky enough to have the two best friends in the entire world. One of my best friends, Rossie, and I have been best friends since we were five years old and met in church preschool. Even though we haven’t lived in the same city since we were in third grade, we’ve remained best friends, and her family still treats me as one of their own, and my family treats Rossie as one of our own. My other best friend, Hannah, and I met in seventh grade when we were competing for the same chorus solo, but we didn’t become best friends until tenth grade. Even though we’ve only been best friends for a few years, our friendship is such that it seems like we’ve been best friends for so much longer than we have. I am incredibly thankful that I am blessed to have not one, but two incredible best friends, and I want to take time today to tell them a few of the many reasons I am thankful for them.

1. Thank you for listening to my countless rants.

I frequently make mountains out of tiny mole hills. I freak out about the tiniest things. Both of my best friends keep a level head during almost every situation. Thank you for always, always listening to me rant and for always telling me, “Savannah, you’re going to be okay.”

2. Thank you for being willing to do stupid stuff with me.

Like I said, both of my best friends are the level-headed ones, but they aren’t afraid to do stupid things with me. Be it pushing each other around on a dolly cart or discussing which episodes of Law & Order: SVU are the scariest, we aren’t afraid to goof off.

3. Thank you for always being honest with me.

You two are always willing to listen to me and give me advice about anything and everything, but you have never, ever told me what you thought I wanted to hear. You’ve always shot straight with me, and you’ve never sugar-coated what you were telling me. You were honest with me and told me what I needed to hear, even if what I needed to hear wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to hear. I am very thankful for that.

4. Thank you for helping me study for tests, even when we don’t go to the same school or university.

You both have helped me study for countless tests and quizzes, as well as helped me practice for several presentations. You’ve both helped me memorize lines for plays that I’ve been in. Hannah, you even helped me study for a history exam when you were visiting me at Lander while you were on fall break! We’ve always helped each other in school, even when we weren’t at the same high school or college. Thank you for that.

5. Thank you for loving my little brothers.

Most people wouldn’t treat their best friend’s little brothers like their own little brothers, but you two do. Thank you so much for that. You love Rhett and Michael, and I know they love you. In fact, I’m pretty sure Rhett and Michael love you two more than they love their own sister!

6. Thank you for being part of a family who loves me as their own.

Even though I know I’m not actually related to either of you, both of your families treat me as one of their own. I know that no matter what, your parents are willing to help me in whatever way they can. Rossie, I am so thankful that your parents treat me as their own, and I am especially thankful that I can text or call your mom when I’m upset, and she doesn’t talk to me like her daughter’s best friend, but as if she were talking to her own daughter. Hannah, your parents watch out for me like I’m one of their own children. You two will never know how thankful I am for that.

7. Thank you for always supporting me.

You two have always supported me in anything and everything I’ve ever done. Be it piano recitals starting in second grade, gymnastics competitions, chorus concerts, plays and musicals at the community theatre, or anything in between, you two have always supported me in anything I’ve ever done. No matter what I’ve ever done or wanted to do, you two have always encouraged and supported me, and you have always been by my side.

8. Thank you for fan-girling with me about random things.

Hannah and Rossie, thank you for letting me gush to you about Broadway and my favorite Broadway performers. Hannah, thank you for loving Broadway, too, and gushing about Broadway with me. Rossie, thank you for loving Law & Order: SVU, like I do, and for talking about it with me. Those are just two of the things we love to fangirl over, and I know there are many more.

9. Thank you for picking me up and making me laugh during times where all I wanted to do was lay down and cry.

Both of you have been by my side through the toughest events in my life thus far. Without your helping me, without your texting and calling to make sure I’m okay, without your talking to me about random things to get me to stop thinking about what was making me upset, without your being there to hug me while I cried, getting through those events would’ve been much more difficult than they already were. Multiple times, you two have both made me laugh and keep on going, when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. I love you guys.

10. Thank you for being my best friends.

I honestly have no earthly idea what I would do without you two by my side. I am so incredibly thankful that I get to call you my best friends, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully thank you. I love you, guys!!