My friends are the best for many reasons, but I’m only going to mention a few. I have friends that I’ve known for a decade. We’ve only grown closer as we have gotten older. I also have friends that I’ve known for months but it feels like we were meant to be in each other’s lives. I have many people in my life that have influenced me, but these people are unique souls that I need in my life.

They know me, so well! They know that when I’m playing screamo, heavy metal music in my room, it’s probably not a great time to come talk to me. Yet, they still come check on me to make sure I’m okay after an appropriate amount of time. They know that when my eyeliner is thick, smudged and black, I’m stressed but I’m planning on conquering the day.

My friends call me out on my crap. I can be difficult to live with, and I’ve lived with most of these people. They respectfully tell me when I’m getting on their nerves, and I only respect them more for it.

I can be open, honest and vulnerable with them. Which is something I can’t say about everyone. I trust them implicitly. They take care of me when I’m sick, sad or even have a case of the Mean Reds. They also make me laugh. My friends are so much fun, you could probably write a script based on us and it would get great ratings.

My friends not only support my decisions, but they also challenge me to push myself out of my comfort zone. I’m a pretty driven person, but everyone needs a shove every once in awhile.

These individuals are all uniquely strong. They all have unique talents and strengths that inspire me to be a better person. One is a workaholic and she pushes me to continue to work towards my goals. One is full of faith, and she inspires me to find things in my life to believe in, even though I’m not religious. A pair of them has made great examples of living authentically, which is something I am endeavoring to accomplish.

Something that I will be forever grateful for is that life brought us together. We chose to become a part of each other’s lives for one reason or another. They live with me, they are in class with me, they went to high school with me, and they’re all over the country. Each of these people has influenced the person I am in one-way or another. I legitimately cannot imagine my life without them.

There is an episode of FRIENDS where Rachel says that she has magic beans, referring to her group of friends as being the people who will help her grow and support her. I have magic beans. I have A LOT of magic beans. I’m so happy to have such a huge support system in my life that includes these people, and my family. My friends force me to be a better ‘me’. These people are my non-biological family and I love them as if they are.