"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." – Muhammad Ali

Friendship is hard to explain, and it's even harder to explain why and how someone became your best friend. But sometimes I guess you get lucky enough to find a friend who truly understands you and knows you better than you know yourself and that to me is a best friend. However, many of us find that person and let stupid and minor issues get in the way of your friendship. I have made and lost a lot of friends but as I have grown older, I have realized that best friends are truly irreplaceable. This article is my way of describing this special bond of friendship.

I have known my best friend for 12 years now, she has seen me grow and develop into the person I am today. Even though I may not see her often, when we do see each other, we can just pick up from where we left off. This week, I had my best friend visit me at my university for the first time. There were so many memories we relived. But there were also those stupid and minor issues that came up. I honestly believe the past is the past and we cannot go back in time and change it. Yet my best friend said to me, "Had I known you were feeling this way, I would have said something or done something." I started this article by saying, that sometimes you get lucky enough to find a friend who knows you better than you know yourself. Here, in this situation, I felt like I didn't care about the past. I didn't need an apology or for her to say that she would have done something to stand up for me. I was wrong! Her saying that, made me feel loved and cared for, like I mattered, and I guess that's what I needed to hear in the moment, even though the anger was a thing of the past.

I feel like the luckiest person, because I have two best friends. My other best friend, may not be part of my life right now but he has truly been there for me. He knew what I wanted and needed even before I did. He helped me realize my dreams and helped me see the potential in me that I couldn't. I know family members who wouldn't stand up for me but he would. In fact, both my best friends would and they would also tell me when I am in the wrong. Recently he was willing to get into a physical altercation with someone who spoke poorly about me. Again, in the moment, I felt like that was unnecessary because I don't believe in violence as a solution but like I said, your best friends know you better than you know yourself. He knew that if he hadn't stood up for me, I would have been hurt and disappointed. I would stand up for him, and so I guess I expected the same of him as well.

I am truly grateful for having both these individuals in my life because I cannot imagine what my life would look like without them in it. I have learned so much about myself and who I am through their eyes.