Dear Best Friend,

All these years, and I don't think I have said thank you enough. You have helped me with so many things: things that probably seemed so small to you, but meant so much to me. Sure we fight, but we know that when we do, we just breath a few days (if we make it that far) and then we are back laughing together as if nothing had happened. Here's the truth: my life has changed so much since you have come into it, and I would not change it for the world.

The time I cried to you about a boy you knew wasn't right. Did I deserve to be told, "I told you" from you? I SURE WAS- maybe even a slap upside the head to knock some sense into me. But you didn't. You hugged me and let me cry and then reminded me of how beautiful I was and how I deserved so much better than him. After my big mess and venting you sat with me and watched a movie as we ate ice cream because you knew that's what would help.

ALL the shows we have marathoned! Lord knows we have run some of those dry, but we still love them and watch them. And yea, we know our age is "too old" for some of those shows but we know deep down - we don't care! "THUNDER! LIGHTNING! Peaches and Honey" have all become almost regular words in our conversations. Dancing and singing along to the theme song is a must when watching the shows. Quoting the shows? If we relate, we do. No shame! Crying because the show we marathon constantly is ending? Yea, sure. I'll admit it.

More sleepovers than we can count. You know, my house is your house; your house is my house. Weekend sleepovers were a thing for like a year, only to be cut off when I had to move and then high school. Those sleepless nights (just kidding mom and dad we definitely slept... just maybe not as much as you thought at the time). Countless times we laughed, maybe too loud, because we realized we maybe related TOO much to a show, but we went with it because it was good and we liked it. We found new talents on those nights - such as going from writing standard to writing cursive in the same word and not understanding why (or how) that happened. As well as getting to the point where when one of us comes over to the house we know that a sleepover will be thought of, even when we know it will not happen. Inviting the person over before asking the parent (we never could seem to get that one right. Oh well, it works.)

The food. So many things have been made at random times throughout the night. We have made brownies, BIG ice cream sundaes, cookies, hot chocolate and more. Those nights usually had the most "shhh's" in them as we tried not to wake our parents. It is all good though because we made some great food. Along with our conversations of "Would these make a good combination?" or "Does this count as a meal?" Usually yes on the first but no on the second - but it still didn't stop us.

Our jamming sessions. There were plenty of these. Me jumping over the couch. You dancing because you can and me saying ow because I am not flexible. These usually took place while home alone, because let's face it, no one wants to walk into the living room and see that. However, it was not confided to just the house - the car ride was not safe from our jamming.

Most importantly: I look forward to the years we have ahead of us. We may laugh, fight and cry, but in the end we have each other's back. No matter what happens as we get older, I hope all of your dreams come true and I am able to be standing right next to you smiling and saying "I knew you could do it." Distance is nothing to us. You will always be the thunder to my lightning (maybe that's why we make so much havoc sometimes lol).

Your friend always.