Words by: Alyssa Sandler
Art by: Alyssa Sandler

I don’t remember the exact moment I met Hannah, but I know she has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Our friendship wasn’t born out of a single, defining moment. Rather, it was woven into the fabric of our lives — so seamlessly and naturally, I can’t imagine a time without her thread.

She’s the person who has seen me at my best and my worst, who has laughed with me until we cried, and who has stood by me through every awkward, messy, and magical moment of growing up.

As we are both only children, we quickly became makeshift sisters. Before the age of 12, we had been teachers, vets, pop stars, models, chefs, and movie stars together in our childhood bedrooms. We talked endlessly about nothing and everything, our conversations flowing from school gossip to our wildest dreams for the future. We helped each other learn to share — something we rarely had to do as only children — and we learned collaboration and compromise from one another. Let’s just say we would be very different people if we had not spent all that time together playing Littlest Pet Shops, resolving arguments over which pets and playsets were going to be ours. We didn’t know then how rare and precious it was to find someone who simply understood you. No explanation needed. Someone who would always indulge in your silly little games.

As Hannah was a shy kid, it really did feel like a privilege to be her friend. Not many people knew on the surface how kind, funny and loud she could be, but I was lucky enough to see all sides of her from a young age. As we were so similar, but I was more overtly extroverted, I was able to help foster a space safe enough for her to come out of her shell, where she did not have to be so afraid of being herself. Watching Hannah grow into the kind, hilarious, endlessly curious and generous person she is today has been a great honour. Knowing she has watched me grow in return, with unwavering support and love, means the world. 

With 16 years of friendship later, I am lucky to say that she is still one of my best friends. It is so special having someone in your life who has truly been by your side through it all. We went through our awkward, cringeworthy phases together as tweens, making Musical.lys and playing copious amounts of Minecraft, to late-night drives and talking about university assignments. We were girls together, and still are. As we grow older together, we remind each other of those carefree days of youth, staying playful even as we enter our twenties.

Hannah and I’s friendship is built on years of laughter and understanding that doesn’t need words. It is grounded in the certainty that, no matter where life takes us, we will always have each other. While we no longer spend our days playing in the backyard or dreaming about what we’ll be when we grow up, one thing remains unchanged: I can’t imagine my life without her and never want to. Now, hand in hand, we get to stride through this life together, knowing we will always have each other by our side.