An Open Letter: Thank you for being a friend.

Do you have any friends that have been in your life so long you don't even remember when you met or why you became friends in the first place? That's how I feel about a couple of my friends. Including my friend.... Cody.

Or, JB as I refer to him (and he answers to).

He's my friend, Rachel's, little brother and he's just as good a friend to me as he is a brother to her. He's such a good friend of mine that I even took him to my Senior prom (because Rachel forbade it and we do what we want).

Hilariously enough, we didn't even take a picture together before/during/after prom, BUT I took a picture of him and his future wife (they weren't together then, but they're married now!), who also happens to be an old friend of mine, so we basically did everything right and now it just adds to the list of our inside jokes.

Speaking of inside jokes, he's privy to quite a few of mine.... and in fact, even knows what "it's just too late for all that" means (and won't tell). Every time we talk, one of us HAS to bring that up and it's usually HIM. And to say that we've been through alot together would be the most vast understatement of the century.

I don't remember the exact moment that JB and I became friends, but I'm sure it was somewhere around the fourth candybar that we shared (because Twix are delicious) while watching the Evil Dead/Wishmaster for the hundredth time. He always understands my Bruce Campbell references and can usually finish my sentences. (And we totally rock out to Guns 'n Roses).

I'm sure if we thought about our friendship long enough we could probably pretty accurately compare it to that movie Stand By Me (without that whole dead body/leeches thing).... or at the very least, Fried Green Tomatoes (you know, aside from that whole getting hit by a train thing).

No matter the situation, he always has my back (and I, his).

For all of the amazing qualities that make you one of my very favorite people, I say, thank you, JB.

Thank you for sticking up for me and telling that boy he was an idiot when he made me cry. Thank you for carrying me up that giant hill, because there was no way that I could have walked up it myself at the time.... and for making it all the way up that hill with solid perfection and then dropping me on a coffee table, because that is one of my very favorite stories to tell. Thank you for always telling me that my hair looked good, even though we both knew you were lying and for finding the perfect girl to marry and have babies with and giving me partial credit for it (I love you, guys!). For constantly bringing up old mishaps when somebody gets a little mouthy with me ("nooo..... it's just too late for all that!!").

And finally, thank you for being one of my very dearest friends. For making me laugh uncontrollably, listening to my constant rambling, and just loving me for being me. You're the best, JB. They don't make em like you anymore.