her twenty-third year.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, one of my very best friends has officially begun her twenty-third year. Caitlin Sarah Davidson is her birth name, but I just prefer to call her Cait Cait. There are a million things I could say about her. Literally, a million. But the most important thing is that she's my best friend.

I think back on the very first time we hung out often, after having several classes together before finally noticing each other. You see, Caitlin and I are probably the most opposite two girls can get in many ways. She enjoys dressing up and looking her best; I am perfectly content with wearing a t-shirt and jeans every day. She's the life of the party; I don't even know how to party. She's got dark hair and dark skin; I'm a blonde with pasty skin in every month except the summer ones. People look at her and say "Whoa nelly, that girl is fiiiiiiiiiine;" they look at me and say "Aww, she's cute." And the list just keeps going.

Yet even with all these reasons against why we should be best friends, we somehow made it happen. God knew I needed her in my life, and he knew she needed me back. His timing is perfect, and our friendship was orchestrated before the beginning of time. It really blows my mind sometimes to think about how much we've been able to share together over these past two and a half years. Now that I have her, I am quite positive that I'd never be able to live without her.

this is where it started.

and this is where we are now.

There isn't enough room to share all of our captured memories together. And, truth be known, my favorites are the ones where our cameras were nowhere to be found. But, don't you worry, I've got still frames of all of them stored away in my heart and mind forever.

I wouldn't trade anything in this whole world for my Cait Cait.

Nothing at all.

Caitlin, you are a gem. And not just any gem, but the most special gem that can be found. I'm blessed to call you my best friend yesterday, today, and tomorrow. THANK YOU for all the little and big things you do to make sure I never stop smiling. You've got more determination and heart than anyone I've ever known, and your will to keep pushing forward through all the difficulty you have faced blows me away. YOU are MY angel, and there is no way I could have anymore love for you in my heart than I do at this very moment.

And, now, let me present you with a small gift from the kiddos of Ms. Anna's K-3 classroom.

I hope this makes you smile as big as it made them smile to get to do this for you!

"If I had one gift that I could give you, my friend, it would be the ability to see yourself as others see you, because only then you would know how extremely special you are."

-B.A. Billingsly