Best Friends!

     Everyone has a best friend, right? A friend that guides you, listens to you and lends you a hand? That tells you the truth and lets you know how they feel. They help accentuate your strengths and support your goals in life. They stand by your side through thick or thin. What if I told you my best friend at a particular time in my life was not that?

     I HAD a best friend, his name was E.D.! He told me how I looked, held my hand through all my fears, and told me how I could live my life perfectly. He gave me "strength" and "hope" throughout my dark years. He was a "real" fashion designer too. He told me what to wear, how to wear it, and even was truthful when I looked too fat! He helped dictate my days by the number on the scale. He helped me count every calorie that went down my throat. He was a "true blue" friend, so I thought.

     It took several years, a decade, to accept what a "true blue" friend meant to me. It took death knocking at my door to realize that a "true blue" friend does not ultimately kill you. A real "true blue" friend accepts you for who you are, supports your life goals, and guides you through the maze of life. I did not find that in my toxic friend, E.D.(Eating Disorder)! He may have been there to lend a hand, to reinforce my demons in my head, but I realized that my Eating Disorder was a "true blue" friend to me.

     Who is a "true blue" friend to me? Who guides me, listens to me, and lends me their hand? Well, several people have impacted me throughout my years. One person that sticks out in my mind exemplifies my best qualities: my Mom. She has always helped me along the way in my life. No matter what it was, a hand reached out to help me over the cliff. Don't get me wrong, we had our differences in life at a younger age, but she never gave up on me. Perhaps, it was her silence, maybe it was her sternness, maybe it was her humor, perhaps it was her love that helped to structure me throughout life. Whatever it may be, it always has helped guide me throughout the travails of life while I discover myself. So, thank you, Mom, for guiding me through the light, standing by my side through the thick or thin.

May you all thank your best friends today for giving you light!

-A.N.T.