To My Best Friend on Her 40th Birthday

Dear Melissa,

Today is a monumental day—your 40th birthday. I couldn’t let this milestone pass without taking a moment to celebrate you and everything you mean to me. This letter is a love letter to our friendship, to who you are, and to everything you’ve brought into my life.

One of the things I admire most about you is your unwavering dedication to your family. You make everything about them—ensuring they are cared for, loved, and supported. Your selflessness inspires me constantly. You’re the heart and soul of your family, and it’s a beautiful thing to experience this.

You are, without a doubt, one of the smartest people I know. Your intelligence shines through in everything you do, even when you don’t realize it. But it’s not just your brilliance that makes you special. In the most unexpected ways, you have a healing presence. Even when you’re simply being yourself, you have this incredible ability to make me feel understood and whole. It’s a gift you may not even recognize, but it’s one I cherish deeply.

You are one of the very few people with whom I feel completely safe to be my true, genuine self. No pretenses, no masks—just me. And you accept that without hesitation or judgment. That kind of connection is rare, and I’m endlessly grateful for it.

We are not blind to the fact that we are complete opposites on the surface. When people hear us talk or see us together, it might be hard to believe how we fit. Our love languages, our approaches to life—they’re so different. Yet, somehow, we’ve always complemented each other, balancing each other out in the most unique ways.

As you step into this new chapter, I hope you know how much you are loved and celebrated. Here’s to making the next 40 years all about you—your dreams, your happiness, your joy. Because if anyone deserves that, it’s you.

Happy 40th birthday, my dearest friend. Thank you for being you, and thank you for being my best friend, I know it's not an easy job.

Here’s to many more years of laughter, raising out babies, and not taking life too seriously.

With all my heart,

Carol Ann