Best friends are hard to come by. I'm not talking about the best friend that you go to a party with, go to work with, or just hang out with during class. I'm talking about the best friends that you do everything with. The ones who will pick you up from the ground, and if they can't then they will lay down with you till you're ready to get up. I'm one of the lucky ones to have found my person already.

Dear Best Friend,

You've been by my side for about everything, so it's really hard to sum up how much you mean to me in just one article. I've thought about this one for a while, as I do before I write anything that means a lot to me. You're the girl in all of my photographs, the one who basically lived at my house, the one that I've experienced everything with, and the one that knows all of my embarrassing secrets. So here goes nothing!

Thank you for always being the first one to run in for clean up duty. Break-ups, family fights, friend fights, or even just stress about life, you're always the first one by my side. You know the best things to say, regardless if I want to hear it or not, you know what I need. You stick up for me no matter what. You're the first one to my defense when things get rough.

When I need a laugh I can always go back to our countless videos and pictures together. From volleyball games, dancing in the car, and borrowing jackets, you're the only one I would want with me. When I'm retelling my favorite stories they usually start with, "This one time, my best friend and I..." and they usually end with you and I being the only ones laughing. Nobody gets my humor like you.

Thank you for understanding me. You're the one person who knows what I'm going to say before I say it. You also know what I mean when I can't find the words. You know when I need to get wild and when I need to be by myself, and typically you're with me for all of it. You taught me that sometimes it's perfectly fine to not follow all of the rules.

Thank you for inspiring me. You're the strongest person I know and you deal with so much on a daily basis. You always remind me that I'm capable of everything. You're the one who keeps everyone else smiling even when you're not sure how to be happy. You go out of your way for everyone you love. I want to be just like you when I grow up.

Thank you for not leaving me. When things get tough you strap in tighter. Every time either of us has dealt with anything together it just made our friendship stronger. You and I are tighter than the spandex we wore under our uniforms. I can't wait till both of us are freaking out about weddings, but your job as the Maid of Honor is to keep me sane, and I know you'll do that well. Your job is to also handle my mother for me.

I am so grateful that I found a soulmate in my best friend, someone who I know won't leave. I wouldn't trade our inside jokes for the world. Best friends is mostly an understatement, you're so much more than that to me. One day I hope our kids are best friends so we can retell the stories of our young years and let them know that we are still the best. I couldn't imagine a friendship like ours DYING.

Love mucho,

Ya BFF