We live in different states. We rarely see each other in person anymore. But our distance has not weakened our friendship. You are still a better friend to me than some of the girls next door.
I have friends who could drive to my place in fewer than ten minutes — but they do not check in on me as often as you. They do not make time for me as often as you. They do not care as much as you.
You never ignore me. You send random texts with inside jokes. You like all of my selfies. You show interest in my dating life. You tag me on social media. You ask to make sure everything is all right.
Even from miles away, the amount you care about me is obvious. Meanwhile, there are friends who live in the same neighborhood who make me wonder whether they care about me at all. It would be easy for them to make an effort to see me, but they rarely set plans. Despite our closeness, I see them as little as I see you — and I rely on them a lot less than I rely on you.
You are different. You will answer my calls at any time of night. You will lose sleep to talk me through my problems. You will make me laugh harder from a text than anyone else can make me laugh in person. You know me better than anyone and it shows.
Other friends might be nearby physically, but you are always there for me emotionally and that is what counts. You congratulate me on my success. You never let me speak badly about myself. You compliment me. You tell me you love me. You genuinely care about my happiness.
You’ve made an effort to keep in contact with me even though it would be much easier to allow our friendship to fade. You could have ghosted with excuses about how busy you have been and how hard long-distance friendships are to upkeep — and I would have understood — but you have chosen to stick with me. You are not going anywhere.
Sometimes, I forget how far away you are because you are the only one who is there for me on a spiritual level. You are the only one who is reliable. You are the only one who is real.
There are friends of mine who turn down plans because they are not interested in driving a half-hour to meet up with me. They don’t think I’m worth the time or the energy. They would rather be alone.
Meanwhile, we are willing to hop on airplanes to see each other. We are willing to cross countries for each other. We are willing to take off work and save up money to see each other.
I miss you every single day. I hate how much distance is spread between us. But even from far away, you are still a better friend than anyone else. You are still my favorite person.
By Holly Riordan for thoughtcatalog