When you think of a best friend, who do you think of? Is it one person or three? Do you really consider them a best friend or just a close friend? When I'm asked these questions, I never have to think about my answers. I've only ever had one best friend during my short fifteen years of life and I think if she has been able to put up with me for eleven of those years, then she deserves some recognition. Let's start at the beginning.


My first day of Kindergarten was as scary as it can get for a five-year-old. I remember
watching everyone at recess run around and laugh with their friends, while I stood alone. At lunch time, I sat by myself as well. No one talked to me until a little girl by the name of Katelynn sat down beside me and asked, "Do you want to be my friend?" Of course I said yes. When you're totally friendless, any friend will do. Who knew that eleven years later we would be going on vacation together, spending days to weeks at each other's houses, and even committing mild acts of mayhem side by side? For only being five years of age, I believe that I made the best decision I'll ever make in my life.


Friendships like ours are hard to find. That's what I've realized over the past decade and a year. When I compare us to other friends our age, I see that they often get into catty fights or just grow apart. I could probably count the number of fights Katelynn and I have gotten into on one hand, and they all lasted about one day at the most. It's impossible for us to stay mad at each other when in the long run, we're the only true friends we have.

As for growing apart; we could never just stop being friends. We've been through too much together to just call it quits. She was there for me through all of the deaths in my family, and I was there for her when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She's the only friend that really understands me, and even though that's incredibly cliche, it's more than true. She knows what I'm thinking all the time without me having to say it. Of course, we have our differences, but if you look closely we're exactly the same.



The little things in our relationship are what make it such a big aspect in my life. The inside jokes, the rebellion that we seem to catch when we're around each other, and the talks we have when we're sitting around by ourselves. She's the only person I have that I can trust enough to be able to tell everything and anything too. She listens and she understands, and there's no way she ever judges. I've made mistakes that she accepted, and I've done the same for her. We've also made plenty of mistakes together, but that's what makes our friendship so interesting.


All in all, I don't believe that the definition of best friends is sufficient enough for what a best friend truely is all about. Katelynn is more to me than just "a friend who is closest to me". She's the sister I was supposed to have, but didn't quite get. She's the most hilarious, sweet, and caring friend that anyone could ask for. I know that I'm more than lucky to have her and I know that everyone else is missing out.