"When our Strength Falters, We Have Each Other"

They say that the friends you meet in your senior year of high school will be the ones that you remember for the rest of your life. I'm not sure that's true about some of the people I've befriended, but there has been one person who has affected me so greatly. Julia and I have had classes together throughout high school, but we were never really close. It's crazy how much you can learn about someone just by sitting next to them. The first time I ever saw Julia's cuts on her arms, I knew right then and there that I'd never be alone again. Talking about my self harm is very hard for my close friends to do - that is, if they've ever noticed it. It's a subject that is considered more taboo than it is an actual issue. Julia, however, was the one to understand and help about this problem. She encourages me every day to find the strength in myself and to love myself unfailingly. When our strength falters, we have each other. We're leaving for college soon, and I know that she can get a little discouraged when it comes to meeting new people, and so I gave her my "strength" necklace not because I feel she needs it, but to remind her that it's there when she feels she cannot find it. I know she will give it away to someone that she's helped just like she helped me. I'm forever thankful for Julia.