I can probably count my best friends on just my one hand. When I think about it, I don’t have many close friends. I wasn’t very social in my youth anyway. Not that we’re old… But for certain, they are Dan, Eric, and you John. I just know I could tell you guys anything and would do anything for you. You’re certainly the only ones I talk to on a regular basis. I actually married my other best friend from DeVry with you guys. It’s amazing the kind of fun relationship I have with Melissa still to this day. There are always the ups and downs of marriage, but the basis of our relationship is always strong.

I think the most satisfying thing about friends is that you don’t always expect it to happen. Sometimes it surprises you. Hell John, you know me… there shouldn’t be any logical reason for me to even acknowledge you. But surprisingly enough, we accepted each other. There’s probably no single reason as to how we even became friends. You were just one more damn John I had to remember. Thus why you are now Paco to me, you fucking spic. But dammit man, I love you to death and you know it. I mean, in that sense, Eric and me hit it off like wildfire. Shit, we were both racist, wreckless, against the system, and had big egos (among other things.) We got ourselves kicked out of DeVRY and laugh at every memory from it. Hell I was just talking about the apartment last night with Dan. Melissa’s friendship was just a shock as well. God knows my first impression of her was lackluster at best. I was pretty much forced into knowing her by Jamie and Dave Stoll. Funny how time works and people grow on you. I always regret going to DeVRY. I know if I had to do it over again that I would still do it. I have to. I wouldn’t have you all if I didn’t. And yet sometimes still I wonder…

The shocker to you all is that my single best friend is Christy Abel. I worked with her for about 5 years at Global in Champaign. I did a lot of learning, growing up, experiencing life, and socializing during those years moreso than any other time of my life. Of any of those that had an impact on me, she has probably had the most. And all indirectly. You could say that she’s not exactly the kind of girl you’d expect me to be interested in. And my initial impressions of her and other’s impressions of her influenced my opinion of her in a negative way. She’s a smoker who tans and highlights her hair. I pegged her at about 10 years older than she was. Marked her as a stuck up prissy girl that you couldn’t trust. Some other people in the office would talk behind her back like she was better than anybody else. I went along with the crowd. Why should I care? I had better collegues there anyway, so I thought.

She wasn’t at all what I was told. Christy is the kind of person that thoughtfully puts other’s needs before hers. In fact, her only flaw is that she does it at the expense of her own happiness sometimes. My only regret is that it took me too long to realize that she is the most wonderful person I have ever known. I lied to Christy once when a conflict arose between me and another co-worker. In that defining moment, I realized that some things are more important than your own pride. I swore to her to be completely honest and up front, no matter what. And I have lived up to that promise. And in those years a bond grew that I have never experienced before in my life. I would stop and nothing to make her happy. But that’s not her style. She’s never looking for somebody to look after her. And though I can’t expect you to understand, she taught me what love really means. Then I think… and I’ve never even held her hand. Ha.

Friendship and love are tough to explain. I know that you are all my friends and I know that I love each and every one of you. I don’t know why I decided to come here and write this. I just know that I am a better person because of my friends. I am nothing without you guys.