Sometimes we don't appreciate the people in our lives, even more, the people that used to be in our lives. Over the past year, I have completely changed as a person, but I can't forget the people that helped me grow along the way.
Dear High School Friends,
First thing's first, I appreciate the fact you accepted my ugly stages. No one else that I encounter will ever see those awful braces, a face caked on with makeup, hair stick straight in that "awkward length", the different hair colors from dark to blonde, gauchos, Uggs with shorts, tank tops down to my knees underneath my shirts, shirts tied in a pony tail and tucked in the back, fake tans, the colorful and poofy homecoming dance dresses, and the hairstyles that came along with it. Thank you for loving me even after all of the dumb Facebook comments and statuses we would write, and always giving me a "pc4pc!" Thank you for not getting mad at me for calling you my best friend because I probably called everyone else "my best friend." Thank you for not getting annoyed with all of those texts that said, "Forward to ten people in your phone in ten seconds or you get bad luck for ten years!!!!" Thank you for making random dance videos with me at sleepovers in multiple basements for hours, and then always watching them and laughing til we fall asleep. Thank you for trying out multiple sports, clubs, and activities with me because, let's be real, we all needed to find where we fit in. Thank you for letting me TP your houses over and over and then forgiving me when I would get mad at you for TP'ing mine. Thank you for the endless bonfires, random drives, movie dates, ice cream runs, parades, fairs, pond adventures, football/basketball/baseball games, pre-dance festivities, post dance festivities, girls nights, crew nights, and pool parties. Thank you for the good, but also thank you for the bad.
Thank you for letting me "go out" with that boy that broke my heart. Thank you for letting me cry for hours because I thought it was going to be the end of the world. It taught me what to look for in my next boyfriend, and to appreciate the good when I found it. Thank you for excluding me at different get-togethers, because I met new people and had to expand my circle. Thank you for the five hour phone calls starting at 11 PM, and falling asleep in class the next day. It has taught me to be responsible and to start my phone calls at 7 PM. Thank you for allowing me to make a fool out of myself on the dance floor, because I realized that's when I had the most fun. Thank you for always comparing your grades to mine, because you pushed me to work harder and I took that with me to college. Thank you for peer pressuring me into my first kiss at a movie theater, because even though it was the worst, it makes a great story. Thank you for telling five other people my secrets (it's OK I did it too), and having them get around the whole school, because now I am aware of who I share my heart with, and it has made me closer with my group of friends now. But more importantly...
Thank you for knowing me inside and out, and continuing to watch me grow from age ten to age 20. Thank you for supporting me with broken friendships, broken hearts, and broken dreams. Thank you for shaping the person I am today, pulling qualities out of me, the ones I kept, and the ones I said goodbye to. Thank you for the countless pictures, videos, and memories that I look back on and crack up. No one else in this world can relive those with me, and will ever know the person I was growing up. You have brought me joy and heartache, and each smile and tear was worth the knowledge and lessons I learned from you. Even though we don't talk and see each other everyday, I'll always treasure the friendships I had.
