I’m in awe of my best friend.
I remember the first time I saw her, if only vaguely. It was at Duke TiP (otherwise known as nerd camp), the summer before 10th grade. She was sitting in a chair by a bed in my friends room. I think I’d just been passing by, but I don’t quite remember.I’m not sure what the first thing I said to her was.
Honestly, I don’t remember most of the first few days. All I know is that 3 days later, we were running through the halls shouting: “HUNGRY JEWS COMING THROUGH!” And, we were best friends.
For three and a half years, our friendship has been long distance. We’ve communicated over Skype and FaceTime and a whole lot of texting. I call her when I want to cry or if I have exciting news. The older I get, the more I appreciate her and her friendship. And, I want to take a moment to recognize her, to write about the ridiculously amazing human Ariana is.I’m not in awe of many people, but I’m in awe of my best friend.
She is so smart, it blows your mind. She’ll talk about her extensive knowledge of mythology, art history, science. She’ll even offhandedly mention chemical formulas in everyday conversation. She doesn’t even think about it. If I have a question about most things academic, I’m probably going to her. She’s one of the smartest people I know, by far. Her knowledge seems endless.Aggressively passionate, she tells the world how she feels. Feminist rants are her daily routine. She now walks through parties asking random guys what their thoughts are on intersectional feminism. Tough as all hell, she soldiers through, no matter what. I’ve seen her push through circumstances you wouldn’t believe, and she does it with a grace that’s incomparable. If her world is falling apart, she still manages to put on a brave face and be her excellent self.
Gorgeous and charming, she can make a whole room like her in an instant. I’ve seen her do it—it’s impressive. With golden hair and blue-green eyes, she’s embarrassingly pretty. She looks like Rapunzel (the Disney Rapunzel of course), and she’s got the spirit to match. A smile from her is worth a whole lot more than she’ll ever know.But, the reason I’m in awe of her is because of something else, something ineffable. She’s just kind of magical to me. If it sounds like I’m in love with her, and, in a sense, I am. Platonically in love, but it’s love nonetheless. Romantic as it may sound, it’s more like the whole idea of soul mates should be extended to friends. We’re soul friends.
There’s no one I’d rather talk to about Harry Potter or makeup or the patriarchy or dogs or literary analysis or art or history or anything. There’s no one I’d rather cackle like a witch with. There’s no one I’d rather share my crazy with.
This is about as close as I get to a love letter. And, you’re damn right, I wrote it for my best friend.
Image Credits: Ariana Weiss