To My Best Friend: Thank You For Never Giving Up On Me

A letter to my best friend,

I could write an entire book on how grateful I am to have you in my life. When I look back on my life experiences, there is one thing that is constant: your presence. I know I am not always the easiest person to be friends with. I can be over-emotional. Let’s face it, I can be downright moody and difficult to deal with. I am not easy to make plans with. I push people away. There are days that seem so gloomy I don’t think I will ever get out of the woods. If it weren’t for you, I might spend the entire week in bed. Thank you for being the light. Thank you for getting me out of my head, even if it was just to get coffee or go shopping. Thank you for showing up in my life, even if I pushed you away. If I told you I was too busy doing errands, you would volunteer to come with me. If I told you I was busy at work, you would bring coffee to work. If I told you I had homework, you would suggest we do homework together. At the time, I might have been annoyed that you would not leave me alone, but you never let me push you away, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Thank you for believing in me, even and especially when I did not believe in myself. Thank you for encouraging me to never play it safe. You always told me to follow my heart, not my head or money or the crowd. Thank you for loving me, especially when I did not love myself. Thank you for building me up, but also for being honest when I needed to hear it. Thank you for calling me out on my bullshit, and we both know I have a lot of it. Thank you for never judging me for it.

You are my go-to for everything. For emergencies. For ranting. For celebrating. For the crazy thing I heard at work. For the big decisions. For advice. For a laugh. For anything. I hope you know you can come to me for anything and everything in your life, too.

Thank you for being family. I will always remember our road trips, cruises, holidays, and traditions. I hope you’re ready for me to be at every Christmas dinner at your beautiful house with your crazy hipster-named kids. We have fought like sisters, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for welcoming me into your family. I love your aunts, uncles, mom, dad, and grandma as my own. Thank you for making me feel at home.

You are my soulmate. You are the Chip to my Dale. You are the peanut butter to my jelly. I could not imagine my life without you. I couldn’t imagine getting married without you, or raising my kids without you. You make my life complete.

I hope you know how amazing you are. I hope you never settle for less than you deserve. Your smile lights up the room. You bring people together. You show up for people in their victories and in the darkness. You show up for people’s darkness with the flashlights to guide them out.  You are so motivated. Some people have called your dreams crazy, but you never wavered. I respect that so much. You believe the best in people, and never give up on them, even when they deserve it. I’ve deserved it before, but you never let me go. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Love,

Your best friend