Happy Birthday Chandra

A short note to my bestest friend on her 30th birthday!
Dear Chandra,
Where has the time gone? Remember when we first met. We didn't like each other. We both liked the same boy and therefore, didn't like each other. But someone out there knew we were perfect for each other (as friends!) and kept throwing us together, whether it was blind dates at the mall, or weight lifting class with the football team. As I slowly let go of my irritation and jealousy of you, I grew to appreciate your whit, your intelligence, and your drive. Then, when the "unthinkable" happened and we were pregnant (well, me first, but you know what I mean) it sealed our bond. We had a shared experience that none of our friends would have for years. Motherhood. Nobody else understood the complexity of our feelings, and the confusion in our decision making. I can't think of anyone I would rather have swum upstream in those hard times with, but you. You kept me laughing, kept me dreaming, and kept me working hard to build the life you knew I was meant to have. The past 12 years have seen many ups and downs for both of us, but each one is special because you helped make it special. You have always been there for me, and allowed me to be there for you when life let us down, or we let ourselves down. You threw me the most amazing 30th birthday party in the history of birthday parties...and you weren't even here. I don't know if you truly understand how much you mean to me. How much our memories mean, how much our daily talks mean, how much life means to me because you are a part of it. Thank you for being the best friend a girl could have. Happy Birthday!
Love,
Cole