As you move from chapter to chapter in your life, you start noticing who sticks around almost every time. Through all your phases, your heartbreaks, your ups and downs, there are a certain few who relentlessly stay - who live through your experiences, like they were their own. In the beginning, we don't recognize the value of this: of having relationships that are so pure and concrete. Of having people in your life who love you so much that they will show up for you when you need them, hear your worries, help you navigate through challenges, and cheer the loudest on your wins. The older you get, the more you understand what it means to have a small world of your own within this big world - to have people you love, who love you back and let you know it in so many ways. It's what matters beyond everything else: to have your own people, who make your heart feel lighter, who remind you that you're valued and loved, no matter the good or bad going on in your life.