Graduating high school, maybe college, getting a job, dating…it’s all new and exciting, but it can also be scary. It’s an adjustment to say the least. Some days are busier than others and sometimes on the less busy days you want time to yourself and that’s okay, that's healthy. There will be a day where you won’t see your best friends as much as you used to, but that does not mean you’re losing each other. It means we all have our own crazy schedules, but we will see each other when we can, and when we do it will be like no time has passed. Growing up does not mean growing apart, please don’t mistake them.

Best friend of mine,

First, I want to say that I am so thankful for you. You’ve always been my hug and my humor in times of need. You’re the fun party friend and the mom friend all in one, that’s how quick you are to take care of the ones you love, and I adore that. There’s no instructions on how to live out your twenties, but we both know our lives are changing. They always have been, but right now especially. We’re getting older and adventuring for the future. We aren’t just dating for free movies, we’re dating to find our soulmate. We are spending more and more time with this one person because they might just be the one we spend our lives with. I know it can be easy to feel like we’re losing each other to a guy, but that’s not the case, it never has been, so why start thinking that now? It’s a balance that everyone, especially someone new to a relationship has to find. Truth is, we aren’t going to hangout every day like we used to. We spent almost every day in high school together and it was great, I wouldn't trade a memory for the world, but we had endless time and school work as an extra excuse. Now our schedules criss-cross and it’s not so simple. There might not be the ever so often sleepovers because after a busy day of work, my bed sounds like the best spot to be with my own thoughts, not because I don’t want to see you. Life is happening—that’s the most sense I can make out of it— but that doesn’t mean I love you any less. You know I will drop anything for you when you need me, my shoulder is yours to cry on. Those are the details of our friendship that won’t change, even when our lives do. That's a kept promise.

When friends grow apart, they lose the care for each other that they always had. They can’t find the ability to pick up where they left off and the communication goes ghost, and usually there’s more of a reason to it all. We're lucky enough to still have those wonderful qualities, but I know it can be easy to confuse growing up and growing apart because the decisions are new and challenging to everyone, and we’re bound to make mistakes along the way. Trust me, I’m figuring it all out too. We are both learning how to balance our lives and still be happy within. I’m still learning to remind myself that my happiness needs to be at the top of the list and you should do the same, because your happiness has always meant so much to me. We are “growing up” and searching for careers, new adventures, ourselves. Every day we make choices and events occur that allow us to learn a little more about who we are and who we want to be. I never stopped loving you like the sister you’ve always been to me. I never stopped being your support. Every Christmas card to this day, I’ve made sure to write how much you mean to me and that I will always be here for you. Those weren’t just words to fill in the blank space, they were reminders that I didn’t want you to forget. I always have been here for you and I always will be, with faith and without judgement. I don’t want to walk on eggshells with each other because we’re afraid our decisions will upset someone, I want to talk about it and find a medium. I want to work on it the way we’ve worked on any other project together, knowing we will get through it. I need you to understand. We will always be each other’s go-to, whether I’m down the street or across the country. A lot is changing, but not everything is, love.

Yes, sometimes people do change and it tests the bond between you, but it’s important to know what kind of energy you need in your life, and hopefully you can see past the meaningless differences. I say this because it’s the simple truth and you’re going to continue meeting new people and new friends, and you will unravel who they are, just as you and I had over time. I’ve met new people whom I’ve grown to love, but guess what? No one will ever be you. Please, remember that. We came so close to losing each other, I still can’t wrap my mind around it. I would never choose someone over you, that’s not the way a friendship works. I might already have plans or I might just want a night in with my boyfriend, you know how that is too, you know what it feels like to be in the arms of someone you love, but I will always cherish time with you. We always manage to make that time happen, and don’t you see that when it does, it’s like not a thing has changed? We still laugh, cry, talk, all the same as we did at our last gathering. Nothing can touch our friendship unless we let it. I will always reminisce on our days of constant sleepovers and getting ready for school dances or “photoshoots” in your back yard, but we have different kinds of memories to make now. It’s that point in our life where things are getting spiced up and crazed with change, and I want to help each other get through it, not push each other away because of it. Talk to me. Text me when you’re sad, call me when you’re happy, let me know when something is bothering you. I’m still here, I never left.

We are growing up, but I would never choose for us to grow apart.

Love always,

Your thankful to-still-be-best friend