Hi Friends,

To put it simply, thank you. From day one, you had my back, and I can’t ever thank you enough for everything. When I met you for the first time, I was having a hard time. I felt lonely and scared about the start of my college experience. You were some of the first people at school that made me feel calm and accepted. Thank you for taking me under your wing when I was just a scared freshman with no clue “how to adult.”

As the weeks went on, thank you for including me. I wasn’t just some strange freshman to you- okay maybe I was, but thank you for treating me like I was a lifelong friend from the beginning. When I needed a ride back to my dorm at night, thank you for being there to drive me back. When I broke up with my boyfriend, thank you for making my tea, popcorn, putting on “Monsters Inc” and buying me ice cream. When I was mad and worried at ungodly hours of the night, thank you for picking up the phone and letting me know everything was going to be okay.

Without you, I don’t know how I would have gotten through college this far. I have made some questionable choices and disappeared from you for a while, but thank you for never giving up on me. Without you, I don’t know if I would know how to love myself. Without you, I don’t know what would have been my light in the darkness. Without you, I don’t know what would have given me hope. You were my shoulders to cry on, my reasons to keep moving forward.

Some of you are graduating in a month or so. This bothers me. It was hard saying goodbye last year to those of you who graduated, but this year will be even harder. You, the one who opened my eyes and always told me that I deserved better than how I let others treat me. You, the one who has been like the big brother I always wanted-even if we bicker sometimes. You, the one who protects me and would do anything for me. Good luck in seminary, good luck in focus, good luck in your relationship with your girlfriend who not only stole your heart but also became the embodiment of the woman we’ve all always wanted for you; good luck trying to say goodbye. I’m hard to get rid of.

You are my friends for life. When I think about happiness, your faces come first to my mind. From strengthening our friendship through Family Studies classes to finding out we grew up a mile away from each other, I couldn’t ask for better people to call my friends. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for loving me when I couldn’t even love myself. Thank you for being mine.