Yuri Manei

A Letter to My Best Friends: Thank You For Everything

Every day presents opportunities along with some challenges. Every week that passes, we make new memories, some spontaneously. And every year, we grow, change, and alter ourselves into what we hope is a better version of ourselves.

With all the constant ups and downs of life, I want to thank you for being by my side from the beginning. I want to thank you for being my best friend, no matter how much I tried to push you away. Thank you for knowing me better than I know myself and for knowing exactly what to say when no one else does. Without your constant faith in me achieving all of my goals and words of support, I do not believe I would be where I am today. Through all of the inconsistencies that life has brought upon us this year, it is so comforting to know that one thing is constant—our friendship.

Knowing that at any time I can send a text to you or give you a call asking for advice not only brings solace to my life but also makes me feel so grateful. It is so rare to have a friendship like the one that we share and I hope you know I do not take you and your friendship for granted. It is so amazing to have friends who truly want the best for one another. When one of us achieves something, it is like we are achieving it ourselves. When one of us is happy about something, we share a mutual excitement, as if it is happening for ourselves.

So thank you. For every memory. Every sleepover. Every two-hour phone call hearing me vent about the same topic for the 100th time. Every time we have girls night and spend it planning out our futures and all the traveling we will be doing together until we are old. Thank you for believing in me when I have not believed in myself. And most importantly, thank you for being the one constant thing in a world of uncertainty.