To my one friend who never gave up on me . . . thank you. 

The truth is, motherhood has limited my time and energy to maintain a social life. That crowd of friends who had shown so much excitement at my baby shower, slowly disappeared after my daughter was born. Except one. ​

She stuck around.

From life’s big milestones to the small mundane moments, she’s been there and she’s still here. And I’m so grateful for her. 

Despite the fact that I pushed her away when I was in the darkness of postpartum depression, she lovingly stayed by my side and offered me support even from hours away. Although our life experiences differ, she is always empathetic as I rant to her about the struggles and successes of mom life.

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Without any judgment or criticism, she reads my long messages and replies to every baby photo with genuine love for my daughter. Whether it’s sharing memes or opening up about the stress and happiness of our respective lives, talking to her simply brightens my day. 

It’s no secret that motherhood shifted my priorities. But our friendship—our sisterhood—will always have a place in my heart.

So thank you, my dear friend, for never giving up on me . . . on us.

Even when we get caught up in our busy lives and messages go unread and calls are missed, there is no animosity. I know when we finally see each other and catch up, it always feels like we’re the same giggly teenagers who first met 15 years ago. 

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I know our bond will only strengthen over time and we’ll always support each other through life. My hope is that my daughter also finds a beautiful, trustworthy, and genuine friend—just like how we found each other.

So if you’re lucky enough to have even one genuine friend in your life. . . hold onto them and let them know how much you appreciate their presence.