According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, friendship is defined as "the state of being friends." Although this may be true, the power a friend could have cannot be described exclusively as just this term. Susan Quilliam, a leading relationship psychologist, claims humans make "nearly four hundred friends in a lifetime." Despite these odds, only a very small percentage of these relationships are kept. So what makes a best friend and why are they so important to us? A best friend will be there for you no matter what and just their presence alone could brighten your entire day. They make you laugh, plan for the future, and they make you want to put in the work in maintaining an amazing friendship. We all have rough times in our lives but only best friends stick through it with us and we would do the same for them. Having healthy friendships make you the person you want to be. They make you want to be more productive, go outside more, or find a new hobby. Having someone there for you makes every sacrifice worth it. As stated by Edna Buchanan, "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves." Friendships are universal bonds in which everyone has whether they know it or not. It makes us human. What makes friends so different from strangers are the sacrifices we make.

I am currently a senior in high school and I believe this is the busiest year of my life. No matter how much I love doing theater, attending school, and performing, my schedule began to cause me stress. I started to feel like I let people down and never had time for anyone. I felt an extreme amount of guilt, anxiety, and overall sadness. I never had time for my friends and there were many weeks in which I did not see my mom. I tried to push myself to my limits before college and, at that moment, it broke me. I began to list whatever hobbies made me happy and do them more; however, this only made the situation worse. Everything I loved to do became a chore and my own emotional downfall. Trying different ways of meditation and exercise really helped me decrease my stress. I remember my best friend telling me a story of his weight-loss journey and how running became his therapy. I was immediately convinced to try it as well. Running with nature put my mind at ease and it became a way for me to temporarily "run away" from my problems. It helped my acne, muscles, and digestion which worsened with my previous anxiety. I never schedule my runs, as I do with everything else, because I do not want something great to turn into another chore. Running is my own decision and it makes me feel free. Through running, I developed a passion for the outdoors and I dream of gardening and camping. With this spring weather, I want to run even more. My mental health has been better than ever before and my friends and family see a major difference in my attitude and I am forever grateful for their support.