My best friends came late in my young adulthood. I didn't have the typical fairytale best friend story, the "we grew up together", or the "our moms are best friends" or "our dads are old college buddies". We moved around a lot in the younger years, and to be honest, my parents were very private people and our house wasn't the "hangout house". Growing up, I never really had a long lasting best friend that wasn't a relative and in high school I kind of went through phases and changed friends as the years went on. I met my current best friends (lifers as I call them), at very odd and random times in my life, and in the 7 years that I've been out of high school, I've had to sift through some rocks to find the gems I have now. Each teaching me the most valuable of lessons, I can see the truth to that old saying, " Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates, and guys are just people to have fun with".

Danielle. My cousin and first partner in crime. There isn't a memory of my childhood that doesn't involve the two of us or our siblings. That was such a bittersweet time of life that I never thought would come to an end. My grandparents were alive; my parents were still married and life was still in a sweet state of innocence in my family. When we were young, she lived in Clear Lake and I lived in Magnolia so we only really saw each other in the summer for sleepovers or on family holidays which no doubt by the end of it begging our moms to let us go home with the other. By high school, we were basically inseparable . She moved to The Woodlands and lived 15 minutes from me so we hung out almost every weekend . We were tight. She was my trouble maker other half! We had some seriously awesome times and I've never really laughed as often or as hard as I used to with her. Life being what it is, though it took a serious dump on our pure friendship, she eventually got into a very serious and domestically violent relationship and then my parents started a 4-year divorce process and basically flipped my life upside down. My mom moved out and home life switched gears and I had to be the front runner of the house, all at 17. We eventually grew apart and never really got back to that state but have built a pretty solid friendship now. I will always love her and cherish those sweet family memories we had.

Erin. I met Erin when I was 19. I had just graduated high school the year before and got a job at the local dry cleaners where she also worked. She was 7 years older than me and I was still transitioning from high school to real life and my former best friend had just broken up with me if you will. Every girl knows how heartbreaking and horrible best friend break-ups are, and at that time I was very reluctant to make new friends. We started hanging out more, going to clubs on the weekends or shopping and going to concerts or on weekend getaways! Here we are, 7 years later living it up in an awesome bachelorette house! She truly is the older sister I never had; the straighten arrow of my inner gypsy path. I'm very thankful to have someone who looks out for me when I was on such an emotional downward spiral and stuck in a dead-end relationship. I've learned so much about self-love from her, and it's really helped me be at peace.

Layne. By far, my most profound friendship to date. Raised by wolves I tell you. We met after I started working at a restaurant because I had to pick up a second job due to a car accident. I had just turned 21 and she was almost 17 and still in high school. She was about 98 pounds of flesh and fire. I'm serious. Fireball of attitude and rage, she was a 16-year-old hostess working with a bunch of twenty-somethings and basically living on her own, No rules, coming and going as she pleased and nobody really to look out for her. She came from an extremely dysfunctional family and was very destructive. We started hanging out all the time, she'd come over to my mom's house for dinner at times and we eventually just became very close. I made sure she was eating and going to school and staying healthy. In 2012 she was diagnosed with pre-stages of ovarian cancer. She had several medical treatments and underwent surgery and is currently cancer free. (Bless) We have been friends for about 5 years now and have been through it all. Her grandparents even took us on an all expense paid trip to New York City, a bucket list trip I will never forget. Now, however, she struggles with bipolar disorder which has been a learning experience, to say the least. It's really taught me patience and brought out nurturing capabilities that I didn't know I had. It hasn't always been easy; before the medication, she would often have panic attacks and breakdowns over things very minor that felt like the world was crashing down around her, and with working full time and trying to build a career, it's been challenging to come to the rescue when she needs me when I'm busy. No matter the situation, she'll always be my true soul sister, the opposite of my being. I imagine being 80 years old still sipping coffee on the back porch in the morning.

Tara. Funny story, but we actually hated each other when we first met. She and her boyfriend had just moved from Dallas and came to the restaurant and we just didn't hit it off. Her boyfriend and I were bartenders together on the weekends and he always made her seem so mean and played her out to be the bitch, when really she was just handling business and tired of his s*** (pardon my french.) Eventually, he went away and we were left at work together and started talking here and there and hanging out and now she is one of my dearest, closest of friends. So wise, beyond her years kind of thing. She's the small angel on your shoulder when you need to hear what's right. So thankful that I was able to put pride aside and embrace an amazing friendship.

I couldn't imagine life without these people. I've had some great friends in my time, but these girls, I know, are forever. I have been in some very dark places and would not have made it mentally without the people who provide such a strong support system for me. Since I've started photography, my friends have really stepped it up and showed me some serious love by modeling for me or would sometimes get me work by word of mouth and have always been so encouraging and supportive of my goals. I believe that your best friends really are made for you. In some cosmic way, designed to fit your life just right, to be your shoulder to cry on when there is no one else, to be the one who won't judge you for your vices or mistakes, the one to call you out when you don't have it together, and the one you celebrate with when you do have your life together.

Take stock of the diamonds of your life, they are hard to come by.

*all names changed in stories