Most fans of the show Grey’s Anatomy are familiar with the phrase, “You are my person.” Meredith Grey uses this phrase to describe her friendship with Christina Yang. When you call someone your person, you are describing them as the one human being you can’t live without, someone with whom you share an unbreakable bond, and the only person you can’t stay mad at. Your person is your partner in crime, your other half, and most importantly, your best friend.

When describing myself as a child, the first words that come to mind are, “scared,” and, “insecure”. I found myself constantly searching for someone that I could call my person. I never had many friends growing up, nor did I have many throughout most of high school. I had a group of people I sat with at lunch, but that was as far as our relationships stretched. I was scared and insecure, even at the age of 17.

I constantly ached for the sense of security that I assumed came with having a person.

My junior year of high school, I felt as if I had a person. I had a friend that was there for me through thick and thin, but, on the inside, I knew that she wasn’t truly my person. She had another friend that always came before me, and that shot me back to the scared and insecure mindset that I had been trying to avoid. I kept searching, and when I least expected it, when I was sure I was meant to have no one, I found them.

On the last day of spring break 2017, I met Alex. At first glance, he was a tall, awkward boy whose arms were a little too long for the rest of his body. His laugh was reminiscent of a chipmunk, and if I’m honest, I thought he was a little too enthusiastic about everything. I quickly learned that while first impressions are important, you should still never assume anything until you truly get to know someone.

Two days later, the day of SAT testing, I was in full panic mode. I was trying my best to hide my anxiety. I snapchatted Alex, just to say hi, and he asked me what was wrong. I remember being confused, this person, that I had met only two days before, was concerned? How did he know that I was upset, anyway? I expressed my concern for the test, and Alex said, “Well, from what I can tell, you’re pretty smart. Don’t freak yourself out!”

I know it seems strange to remember such a small thing, but that was the moment that I realized that Alex is my person. What I didn’t expect to realize is that your person doesn’t bring you security or safety, but rather, they help you discover those things within yourself.

Through Alex, I have learned things that I never thought I would know. I learned small, seemingly unimportant things. Things like: how it can be fun to just walk around for awhile, or how loud I can scream before anyone gives me a strange look, or how to eat 50 chicken nuggets in one sitting. Those seemingly small things taught me to live life for me, and to do things I think are fun, instead of conforming to what the people around me are doing.

For years, I searched for my person. In a matter of days, Alex went from the tall, awkward, slightly annoying kid I met downtown, to my best friend. With his friendship, I went from insecure, scared, and sad, to confident, independent, and happy.

Thank you Alex, for being my person.