Okay, so you pretty much already know how I feel about you graduating. You know that watching you graduate is going to be one of the most bittersweet moments that I have ever had. It has been such an honor going through life with you these past few years. We have been through everything together, from tons of horrible boys, to mental breakdowns and weird panic attacks about the future. We have procrastinated on the same dumb assignments together, you have helped me and I have helped you come up with something just so we wouldn't completely fail. We spent hours reading book assignments out loud so we could figure out what the hell was going on together. We've saved each other's butts on so many occasions, I've really started to lose track of them all. Our lives have been a whirlwind of us trying to juggle school, work, social lives, and still managing to find time for each other in the midst of it all.

You were there last year when I completed high school, sitting in the stands with the biggest smile I had ever seen and waiting to hug me afterwards. Now, it's my turn. High school is over for you, as weird as that might be to hear. I was there when you started high school, a not so eager freshman who had pretty terrible hair and way too much eye makeup. I have watched you mature and develop into someone who knows how to properly apply eyeliner and to avoid clothing with holes in it. And hey, your music taste has even improved some. You have come such a long way in the six years that I have known you and that is pretty impressive. You've accomplished so much and you should be proud of yourself for that. Not only have you learned how to present yourself as a normal human being, but you've also developed some kick-ass skills for the real world. You have broken out of your shell and started to - wait for it - really interact with others. That's not even really something that I have learned yet, so kudos to you. You can actually manage your money (sometimes) and have way more of a handle on life than I've developed in the year that I've been out of high school. You must be learning from my mistakes, of course.

But really, I am so so proud of the person that you have become. I am proud of the things we have shared in together and the things that you have accomplished on your own. It warms my heart to see how caring and genuine you are about absolutely everything, how much passion you throw into your life. I just know that you're going to take that and really do something with it. It doesn't have to be something extravagant, you don't have to change the entire world - but you're going to affect so many people. You have changed my entire world, and that's going to be true for everyone you meet on your journey through life. You might not see it yet, but you will some day.

Of course, you know I'm going to miss you. You're going thousands of miles away and I can't even stand the thought of not seeing you for a couple of hours. I couldn't stand it when I went to college, but everything is going to be different now. We aren't going to be a small car drive apart. We're going to be hours apart from each other - and that really sucks. I'm going to want to talk to you all the time. I'm going to want to be next to you when you have your first big freak out of the semester, I'm going to want to meet all of the cool new people that you're meeting, I'm going to want to run around and find all of the fun things to do on campus with you. I'm going to want to experience life with you...but I can't. And I know that I can't. Our lives are starting to go in separate directions, and that is going to have to be okay I guess. This is the time in our lives when we are going to have to start experiencing life separately for a little while. I guess it will just give us more to talk about when we talk on the phone or finally meet up again.

There is so much I have to say to you...so many questions I wish I was going to be around to answer. This is going to be the first time in our lives in a very long time that we don't have each other right next to us and that is pretty scary. But, the truth is, you'll hardly notice. You're going to be away at college and I know how great that is going to be for you. You're going to try new things, find new passions, and meet so many new friends you won't know what to do with yourself. Of course, I'll only be a phone call away if you ever need me. But you won't need me, and I don't want you to need me. As much as I am going to miss you, I want you to go off to college and meet all the people you can, have as much fun without me as humanly possible. I want you to have the time of your life and be as happy as you can be. As long as you don't forget about me in the process, of course. And then you can come back home and tell me all about your crazy adventures. We'll be able to adapt and adjust to this new life of being away from each other because we aren't just friends, we're best friends. We're forever friends, the ones who don't have to talk every single day but when we come back together, it seems as though we hadn't ever left. That's how our friendship has always been and that is how its' going to stay, I'm sure of it.

Graduating high school isn't meant to be sad like a lot of people make it out to be. Yes, I certainly cried the entire week leading up to my graduation...but I was young and naive, give me a break. Leaving high school is a big mile stone, it's supposed to be special and extremely significant. But high school is not the best time of your life, college could be. It's a fresh start and I know that you're going to make the most of that. As you walk across that stage and grab your diploma that isn't really there yet, I'll be screaming louder than your whole family combined. And I'll be standing there waiting to hug you and cry along with you (because you know i'll be crying). That night is going to feel absolutely surreal, but guess what: you freaking did it. You graduated high school and you got into college and all of the stress from the last four years has paid off. You did it and I am so proud of you for it.

Congratulations.