To My Dearest Friends

I have been blessed in my life to find people that know most everything about me... and still want to be in my life. They know my good and bad qualities, my quirks, my fears, my overreactions, etc. They know all of that stuff and yet they still are my friends. I can tell them pretty much anything and not be embarrassed about it. Some of them I have just met and some of them have been in my life for a long time. But I just wanted to take the time to thank them here.

Abbie--You have been my longest friend...11 years! We may not have been "best friends" until 6 years ago, but you have been in my life for so long that I can't ever picture my life without you. I know you will always be there even if you're not always "there". You have helped me get through several boys, breakups, heartaches, you've been my shoulder to cry on, you've helped me with my homework, stayed up talking to me at night when I have needed it, you helped me write some of the most LAME stories ever, you've been excited for me when I go on dates, you literally tackled me when I said I was fat, you trusted me with your life and opened your heart with me, you've stayed up to shave your legs with me at 2 in the morning, you and I have had best friend dates and have gone to see romantic movies and dinners together, you led me around New York and took me to the beach and we bought floppy hats and sat in the hot sun together in the middle of June, and you're always there to lend a hand and to give great, godly advice. You're downright amazing. Thank you so much for all you've ever done for me and for everything you will do in the future. I feel incredibly blessed to have you in my life and call you my best friend. I don't know what my life would look like without you in it! I love you so much and can't wait until I can see you again:)

Sarah Anne-- We have been friends for what, like, 7 years now?! I remember the day you and I met. It was at a New Year's Eve party. I don't remember all the events that took place but I knew that wherever you went, I went too! We became friends from that point on and you've continually stayed in my life which is amazing, because of all that you have had to put up with! We've been friends through the weird, no-makeup stages, the braces, the pimples, driver's training, and puberty. (Yuck) We've had our ups and downs and we've had a few fights but we always come back to each other in the end. We've had countless sleepovers where you and I have done prank calls to people we know, stayed up until 4am talking about boys and calling them ;), we've spent years together in youth group, at camp, went to high school together, you were with me during my various panic attacks, you have stayed up late at my house (even when I wasn't there) just to help me get back on the right track, and now we're going to be roomies! Can you believe that?! It has always been a pleasure to have you in my life! I don't know what my life would have looked like all throughout these years if you hadn't been there. You always bring laughter and excitement to my life and I can't wait to see more of you when we live together. It's going to be a great adventure! Love you! :)

Sarah Z (and CJ)-- You've been one of my closest friends for almost 6 years now. I can't believe it's really been that long. I remember the day I met you! It was at a youth group event. Some mutual friends introduced us and from that point on, we were pretty close friends. We texted nonstop for 2 weeks! We never saw each other and had conflicting schedules and that always sucked, but now that you are married and I'm an adult (and I can drive), we have gotten together a lot more often, which I have happily taken advantage of! (And thank you CJ for letting me steal your wife for hours in the last few weeks!) But in all seriousness, you truly have been one of the most influential people in my life. You have helped me through so much of my teen years and you have always given me the greatest advice when it came to guys, God, work, school, etc. You have always been there for me when I've needed to talk, you've always invited me to your parties, you've always been there when I've needed to cry to someone, you laughed at me when I squeezed the life out of your hand and cussed at the workers in the haunted house, you and your husband have paid for various things for me and you guys let me eat your food, you've listened to me ramble on and on about the things you've heard a dozen times, you are willing to teach me how to snowboard, and you've always opened up your home to me when I needed to get out of town. You even wasted your gas to come all the way to Owosso to help me clean my house and get over dumb boys ;) You're an amazing, true friend. I love you so much and just wanted to thank you for everything you've ever done for me. :) I don't know what I'd do without you!

David-- It's only been 3 weeks since I've "officially" known about your existence, but your existence has been a pleasure to be around. I've never met anyone in my entire life that I could connect with so fast (on a friendship level) besides you. Literally the first night we met, we stayed up until 5 in the morning and attempted to watch a horror movie but then we just talked and laughed (and kept Sarah up). That made me feel like I have known you my whole life. Meeting you (or according to Sarah, being set up) was one of the best things that has happened to me in the last half of this year.. I've been through a lot and you've just made it easier for me. You've been there to listen to me ramble on the phone about the most random things, you've been (a part of) my support system, you've helped me work through some personal battles, you've gotten me to laugh until I peed my pants or cried, you held my hand in the haunted house when I was scared and freaking out while hyperventilating, you've gotten me to smile so much that my face hurts afterward, you've taken me to the movies and bought me dinners, and best of all... you've cared about me so much that you've offered to help me with things and have asked me if I'm doing okay, every single day. Thank you for being so sweet and for making things less difficult for me. You've been an amazing friend and I can't wait to get to know you better.. for years to come:)

Friends like this don't always come around.. but when they do, hold them close! These people are amazing and I'm so glad I've had the privilege of meeting them, growing up with them, and spending time in my adult life with them. I have not always made friends easily and obviously all of them have known that, but they have stayed in my life regardless! They are all meaningful to me and I'm so glad God hand-picked them to walk into my life. I am forever grateful and happy to know them and love them. :)