Dear Best Friends,

With all the laughs and jokes we have, I don't say it often enough, but thank you. Thank you for your endless support in everything I do. Thank you for being truly and brutally honest with me when no one else will. Thank you for putting up with my sarcastic humor and giving just as good as you got. Thank you for being there when I'm falling apart and helping me put myself back together. Thank you for enjoying the good times and sticking around through the bad.

It speaks volumes that our friendship has stood the test of time and space. For some of you, our friendship started right at the beginning of high school and has continued to this day. For others, our friendship started in college. But despite the differences our friendships may have, the meaning you hold in my life will always remain the same. Each of you helps and influence me in different ways. The silent supporter, the stubborn defender, the confidence booster and the caring jokester; you all play a vital part in this confusion that is my life. You also play a part in unraveling the confusion as we make sense of our lives and grow together.

There are so many times when I don't have to explain myself and my feelings in situations because you just know. You know how I feel and what I'm thinking based off of one phrase or nothing at all. But even in the moments when you don't know, you either give me the time to explain or immediately comfort without needing an explanation. You give me space when I need it, but stay close enough that you'll be there when I call. Not just in sadness, but in all emotions. Happiness, anger, frustration, disappointment. You name it, we've been through it, and the important thing is that we've always come out on top and better than ever.

Our best moments are our simplest. Whether it's going for a drive, dragging me to events that I end up loving, having a movie marathon or going with each other on errands, I can remember every moment and how satisfied I was with my life. It's always good to have crazy moments, too. Senior skip day, going out to parties, having mostly one-sided (me) dance sessions in our dorm room and traveling far and wide for Pokémon. All these moments make me realize how much I appreciate having you in my life. You're all wonderful people and I'm so glad that I was lucky enough to find you and get to this point in our friendship.

For all the amazing things you do for me, I also hope that I've been able to positively impact your lives. I know I don't often tell you how important you are to me. You know it's because I'm not the best at expressing my feelings. I'm working on it and getting better, but I'm also better at writing these things than saying them. However, you deserve to hear them. From now on, I promise to try to express, in words, how important each of you are to me and to those around you. Because you deserve that, and so so so much more.

My biggest hope for you all is that one day you'll find people that love and appreciate you the way I do. Those who will stick by you and better you as much as you have me. Those who will know you as much as you do me. Those who also become your best friend, but in such a different and more precious way. As we go through life, I will fight and make sure you settle for nothing less. As you've done with me, I'll allow you to make some mistakes because I know it'll strengthen you in the end. I'll be your light in this dark, harsh world just as you have been for me. But when it's all said and done, I want to know that as much as I possibly could, I tried to show and tell you that you deserved nothing less than the best. And be happy knowing that you got it.

Thank you for being the people you are, I couldn't have asked for better best friends. Stay true to who you are and never change (unless it's for the better).

With all the love I have in my heart,
Your Best Friend