Best Friend Day 2019

Last week was National Best Friends Day, or so the internet told me. I thought all day about what I should post, who I would tag, what photos to pull, and as much as I love me a good trendy internet holiday post, I couldn't come up with anything because I don't have pictures that express just how much gratitude in my heart for the people in my life that I refer to as my "best" friends.

Over the past two years, I have struggled profoundly. I moved away from home, I slept on couches for 9 months, I didn't always have a job, and I went through some mental health ups and downs. But through it all, I had people by my side, handing me the extra key to their house, driving me to therapy and doctor appointments, and even the hospital a couple of times. This group of humans who I'm lucky to call my "best" friends always answer the phone, shoot a text back, or send me encouraging words when they know I'm struggling. They find treatment programs for me, call doctors for me, and even go so far as to just bring me ice when I'm out and its the only thing I want in the world but I'm too anxious to go get it.

As a collective, my best friends have taken better care of me than I have ever taken of myself. That sucks to say sometimes, but it's true. They are the ones who look out for me when I'm not looking out for myself, and make sure that I keep on just having days until I can start having good days. They remind me to take my meds, feed myself, and encourage me when I'm down. They cheered me on when my family convinced me to move to Arizona for my mental health, and I know they'll keep cheering me on even when I'm like 1,000 miles away.

My best friends are the reason I've made it through these past two years. Because as a group, you guys didn't make me do it alone. You hyped me up in person and online, you cheered me on for every tiny step and every big one. You showed up when I needed you, and didn't make me hug you. My best friends are some of the best people that exist on this planet and I may physically fight anyone that argues me on that point.

When you have a mental illness you hear the term "support circle" a lot. And now, most people probably hear it a lot because its a pretty important thing to have. It has taken me a long time to put my circle together, but I'm so lucky that it has the members it does. I'm literally alive because of some of my friends. Without a few of you there are days when I wouldn't have made it through. I love you all.