Thank You To The Friends That Are Still Here As We Go Into a New Year

I don’t think I can fully express just how grateful I am to have you in my life.

It’s felt almost impossible to imagine just how overwhelming, devastating, and enlightening these last few years would be. In a time where seeing each other in person became less accessible, our personal lives took serious hits. Unfortunately, with so much confusion and frustration that has abounded, some relationships withered and fell apart. 

I’m thankful that through it all, ours didn’t.

Throughout the distance, the struggles, and all the changes in our lives, we found ways to stay close. Whether it was through simple texts to check in with each other, reaching out with support when we knew the other needed it, or taking it in stride when either one of us was going through intense situations. We learned when we needed each other to be close and when we needed space—even if that was insanely hard at times to manage. We spent time creating space for each other and ensuring we knew that no matter what, we were still important fixtures in each other’s lives for as long as we wanted to be. 

And maybe that shouldn’t be rare to find in friendships, but I’m still so thankful for it nonetheless. 

I am thankful that when I discovered new things about myself, you stood by my side rather than deciding to distance yourself from me. You have always understood that I won’t stay the same person forever, and rather than just allowing us to grow apart, you stepped into this new chapter with me. While sometimes friendships do end because of too much change, I’m glad you refuse to let go without a fight. I’m glad we both try as hard as we do to remain in each other’s lives.

I am thankful that when you started new chapters of your own lives, rather than leaving me behind, you opened up so much space to allow me to join you. Whether you were getting married, having kids, starting a new job, or moving to a different part of the country, you didn’t simply decide that because I wasn’t living the same life you were, that meant I had no place in yours anymore. The times you’ve continued to include and share these new moments with me have shown me just how valued you find our friendship, and I refuse to take that for granted.

I know that we have no idea what this new year will bring. New changes and challenges are most certainly going to happen. We will probably have our ups and downs, moments where our lives are so hectic and busy that we may feel incredibly distant from each other. We may have moments where we don’t get to spend as much time together or see each other as much as we would like.

I’m not worried, though. Because I know that we love and care for each other so much, we won’t allow things to simply fade away without trying our best. I can look at our history together, all the memories we share, and firmly know that if we were able to survive those moments, we can face anything else our lives might throw at us. I know that the friendship we’ve built isn’t just something that exists due to proximity, or to get something from each other. It’s because we genuinely don’t want to picture what our lives look like if the other person isn’t it—we want to celebrate, encourage, and inspire each other in any way we know how. As we take our first steps into this new year, I can wholeheartedly say there isn’t anyone else I would want by my side—and I can never thank you enough for simply being here with me. 

I can never thank you enough for simply being who you are, and wanting to include me along for the journey—and for wanting to be a part of mine. I hope it stays that way for many years to come.