There’s something so magical about being in love. Whether you’ve been in love before, never have, or wish to one day, let me tell you, it is something you’ll want to experience. Being in love is just one of the many emotions we as humans can experience, and I’d say it’s the most rewarding one. To be able to get that rush of butterflies every time the one you love walks into the room, or the comfort you feel just from being in their arms is a wonderful feeling. They’re the only person who can make you smile bigger than you ever thought you could and make you laugh ridiculously for hours on end until your stomach is sore. These are just a few of the joys that love can bring us, but more importantly, if the one you love is also your best friend, your relationship is even better.

I always like to say that a solid foundation to any relationship is having a friendship before you become romantically involved. This is true in most cases, but there are some of us who learn to develop loving relationships with their partner after meeting them, say, randomly in a coffee shop. I have no proof, no statistics showing that couples who are friends first have better relationships, but from my daily observations and personal experience, I’d say that this is true. I wasn’t necessarily close friends with my boyfriend before we were in a relationship. We knew each other and we were friendly, but definitely not the definition of best friends. It was when we entered into our relationship and fell for each other, that a wonderful friendship began, and that’s why I can now say that I’m in love with my best friend.

He’s not just in my life for romantic purposes, he’s in my life for all purposes. When I need a shoulder to cry on or I want to go out and have fun or I need to go on a 20-minute rant about my life, he’s always there for me, my partner in crime, and the one I love. I’ll have good days and I’ll have bad, but through it all, I have him. One moment we’re laughing until our stomachs ache, and the next we’re cuddled up on the couch talking about how lucky we are to have one another, and I think there’s just something so magical about that. In him I see someone I love and care so deeply for, but I also see someone I know I can always have a good time with.

I’d say that whomever you fall in love with, that person will eventually become your best friend. When I fell in love with my boyfriend, I found myself becoming lost in this realm of powerful emotions, and I devoted myself to him, and I knew that I wanted to spend every waking moment with this person I loved. The more time we spent together sharing the magic of this new-found love we had for each other, the closer we became, and the better we got to know one another. Yes, sometimes it doesn’t happen for all of us. We can’t all call the person we love, our best friend as well, but if you’re lucky enough to have this opportunity, let me just say that your life is enhanced that much more. When something great happens to me, I know right away the first person I want to share the good news with is him. When I’m sad, I know he’s the only person who will instantly put a mile-wide smile on my face and make me forget I was ever sad in the first place. There are moments when I stop for a second and look at the person I love and the person who also happens to be my best friend and I think to myself that I really do have the best of both worlds. Being in love with your best friend is truly a wonderful thing.