To The Friend I Owe Everything To
Somehow you always find a way to guide and encourage me to do the right thing.
Svitlana Sokolova / shutterstock By Laura Van De Walle
Sometimes we make poor decisions or difficult decisions and we know that there will be people in our lives who don’t understand them.
That is simply the reality of the lives we live.
However, some of us are lucky enough to also know that there is one person who will consider every perspective before coming to a conclusion.
A person who looks at you and sees the very best in you.
Someone who chooses to believe in your ability to make decisions and conquer life, even when you have lost faith in yourself.
This kind of friend is rare and beyond precious.
Sometimes it takes years for us to even realize the immense length this person has gone to for us. Perhaps you are even this friend to someone you know.
What is important is that you take the time now to realize that coming across someone who possesses pure empathy is not something to take for granted.
They single-handedly make the world a better place.
If anyone is lucky enough to find friends or even one single friend who is like this, then you know exactly where I am coming from.
If you’ve found someone who is open-minded and accepting and simply non-judgmental, then take the time to thank them and to appreciate them.
This letter is for the person in my life who has done this for me. I owe her the world.
To the most accepting and non-judgmental person, I know:
First of all, thank you for being an outright wonderful human being. I understand now that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a friend like you in their life.
You have been there for me through every questionable decision I’ve ever made and not once made me feel ridiculous for making it.
Somehow you always find a way to guide and encourage me to do the right thing.
Life has taught me that many, many people are unreliable and inconsistent. However, you have taught me that there are exceptions to the rule.
I can’t describe to you how much easier my life is knowing that no matter what gets thrown my way, I have someone that I can truly count and depend on.
Even on days when I don’t come to you about what is bothering me, just knowing in the back of my head that you’re there if I need you is a huge help.
Thinking before you speak is an important quality to learn; it helps us filter through our thoughts and make the best possible choices.
However, sometimes this can be extremely exhausting.
Since the day you came into my life, I have had someone who I can be myself around because you accept me for exactly who I am — completely unfiltered and unashamed.
Thank you for being the very best definition of a true friend.
You are the embodiment of love, acceptance, and all that is so wonderful in this world!
Never change, my friend, because life simply wouldn’t be as magical without you in it!
Laura Van De Walle is a student writer and a contributor to Unwritten. She writes primarily on topics of health, self-esteem, and relationships.