Your Friends Can Be ‘Forever People’ Too

One of my favorite unanswered questions to ponder is why do we meet who we meet when we meet them?

Sometimes it only takes a few days, weeks, or months to realize what roles certain people were meant to play in our life, while others take years.

Regardless, I’ve always looked back on everyone who has once-so-casually waltzed into and out of my life and understood exactly why God intended for them to be there in the first place. To grow, to learn, to accept, to change…

But it’s a rather profound moment when you meet people and instantly know why the path of your life has led you to them. There’s a bond so strong, unbreakable, and instant that you can tell they are not just an in-the-moment sort of person. You know that this person is your forever person.

But I’m not talking about a boyfriend, husband, or soulmate.

Well, actually maybe I am talking about soulmates. In fact, I think Carrie Bradshaw may have seriously been onto something when she once stated that “maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with.”

Up until college, I didn’t realize what it was like to meet your forever people. Sure, in high school I had best friends and close friends – some of which have crossed the bridge into ‘forever people’ territory, but when I went away to school, it was like I’d finally met the people that my life had so anxiously been waiting for me to meet.

The ones who knew all of my secrets – even the ones I was dreadfully ashamed of. The ones who held onto those secrets and protected them like their own.

The ones whose laughter truly made me feel whole. The ones I could sit with while saying absolutely nothing, and somehow felt nothing but pure happiness just being in their presence.

The ones who knew every chapter to my story. The deep chapters, sad chapters, happy chapters, insecure chapters, and embarrassing chapters. The ones who still think the story of my life is incredible despite some of those chapters.

The ones who were the missing puzzle pieces that made up my being. The ones who made life feel right.

The ones whose meaning in my life cannot be summed up by words – despite my admittedly dramatic attempt to do so.

Most importantly, the ones whose title of ‘friend’ didn’t last long. The title quickly transferred into ‘family,’ because these were the people I soon realized were my source of happiness and healing. These people are the glue, unconditional love, and support that I needed to finally realize who I was as an individual.

To my forever people, you’ve given me a life worth remembering. A life that is so full of moments, feelings, love, and laughter that no one else would be able to recreate. You are my favorite home-remedy to cure any hurting, brokenness, or pain.

Lifelong friendships like ours are the biggest blessing my life has given me. Friendships like this are rare – some people won’t ever be fortunate enough to say that they have people like you, and if they do, maybe it’s just one or two true confidants.

I, however, somehow have been lucky enough to expand my family by eight more sisters.

Feeling particularly grateful, I just wanted to extend a thank you because I don’t do it enough.

Thank you for never giving up on me (no matter how ridiculous or dramatic I can sometimes get).

Thank you for never judging me whether I’m reaching for pizza slice number six or talking to a boy you outspokenly disapprove of.

Thank you for appreciating my sarcastic, dry (albeit sometimes bitchy) sense of humor.

Thank you for sharing your closets with me when my jam-packed, overflowing closet sometimes still leaves me with “nothing to wear.”

Thank you for lending a hand, physically when I’ve not-so-soberly tumbled onto the sidewalk, or emotionally when I’m feeling down-and-out and need encouraging words of advice.

But most importantly, thank you for being my forever people. You know who you are.