In honor of my SOULMATE: The 19th CLUB.

Where do i start?

Time after time, I have been very disappointed in my platonic relationships.

Friends come in different forms; everyone is born and raised in different environments, with parents who come from different backgrounds. You know, all that generational trauma, cultural differences—you get the gist.

Friendship is a very beautiful word, or... I should say idea. But is it really complicated? Or are we the complicated ones?

Throughout the years, I have been learning what friendship means to me, but in order to do that, I had to come to terms with the concept that we are a reflection of our friendships (relationships altogether).

BUT THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT WHAT FRIENDSHIPS ARE TO ME; THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO MY SOULMATE WHO TAKES THE SHAPE AND FORM OF MY DEAREST BEST FRIEND:

Kassandra R;

My Sagittarius, my true yin-yang.

I first met her at a job. She had recently moved back to GA from Texas in 2017. She was the most adorable person I had ever laid my eyes on. She looked so innocent and disoriented (the job was a mess, it wasn't her fault).

She's just a year younger than me, so naturally, I was drawn towards her and started talking to her.

I was 21 and she was 20.

I don't really recall what our first introduction was, but I do know that I became an open book with her. I told her everything about me, my favorite food, my favorite singer, my aspirations, and also my relationship problems, lol. Not once did she think I was weird or did I feel judged.

We really bonded over Lana Del Rey, becoming vegans, not having a group of friends, and dancing. (Cumbia has always been our thing; since then we became dancing queens.)

Throughout the years, we never had any downs, except at the beginning of our relationship. I personally call it the adjusting period; you are discovering the other person's personality and adjusting yours and theirs after the honeymoon period is over.

We haven't had any big fights; there has always been this unspoken mutual respect. She felt very familiar, like I knew her from a past lifetime.

Over the years, she has seen me go through the most debilitating relationships, fake friends, body image issues, and mental health issues. To keep it nice and short, she has seen me at my very lowest, trip and fall over and over again, to being my most resilient, emotionally understanding self.

I don't think there has ever been a single thing I have gone through or the way I have handled things that has had my chikibaby turn her friendship away from me.

So here it is,

To the girl I love the most;

I love you to the moon and back.

Not once have you ever made me feel judged. Throughout the years, you have seen me shed skin time after time, and you have been there all along, showing me your unconditional love, unconditional support, unconditional loyalty, and unconditional acceptance.

From the time we met until now, you and I have not only grown immensely individually, but also our friendship has grown simultaneously with no spoken words; our friendship has evolved gracefully.

From being young 20-year-olds that would spend our weekends in the club, dancing with all the hotties, and only caring about being skinny legends (vegan legends) to being more emotionally mature and setting adult goals.

I know many people don't understand the connection we have. Many have misjudged the real and organic connection we have; often calling us gay lovers (I love how we ride with it hahaha).

I know not many people have experienced this wonderful connection, and therefore we have been misjudged or even mistreated for being us, for embracing our friendship so excitingly, innocently, nurturingly, protectively, and respectfully.

There has never been a day that I have questioned our friendship; you make my days brighter, full of laughter.

You make me very proud; you opened up your heart to me, a completely impulsive menace. You, in a way, have healed the inner child in me and have made me recognize the great friend that I am.

You inspired me to reach places I have never reached before and explore areas in the world and my inner world I never thought even existed. We are so different, yet we are the same; you are short and I'm tall, you're curly-haired and I'm wavy/straight-haired, I'm an extrovert and you're an introvert, but yet we both love New York, expressing ourselves through creative outlets, fashion, skin care, we are foodies, our morals and values align, we both don't have kids hehe, and we both have an affection for traveling.

Not to exaggerate, but I'd cross oceans for you, and I pray that I find you again in my next lifetime, my true soulmate.

I love you, Kass, and I thank the universe for letting us cross paths and letting us pave this path together.

Oh, the woman that you are;

Soft-spoken with firm ideas and values.

Woman of few words but a great listener. When giving feedback, its always meaningful and well thoughtout.

Little woman with big dreams and goals.

Cold, distant exterior with the warmest and radiant Colgate smile.

Reserved and observant like a lion.

A balanced woman, but always loyal to your loved ones.

Childlike soul with the wisdom of an elder.

Fine as wine, getting older and getting hotter ;)

Thank you for always being you, and not changing who you are.