you've been my best friend since i can remember. you patched up all my cuts and kissed my bruises. you brushed my hair, even if you pulled it and made me weep. you baked bread for my sandwiches when we couldn't afford a loaf, because you knew how much i loved salami sandwiches in my school lunches. you took me shopping even when you were drowning in bills and responsibilities and adult things that i couldn't understand as a child. you yelled at me and frustrated me and made me lock myself away for hours at a time, but you had my best interest at heart. you held me and carried me to bed when i fell asleep in your arms on the couch, until i got too heavy to carry anymore, and you would wake me with a gentle shake. you cried with me on that couch while we watched titanic and ate stale popcorn. you let me play dress up in your closet, even if you weren't too fond of a six-year-old ruining your party dresses and high heels. you always let me finish your food, even if you were still starving and there was nothing else to eat. you've sacrificed everything you had for me. i've never known a life without you. i'm an extension of all of your goods and bads and neutrals and i just hope you can love me for it, even if you're not too fond of yourself. but i love me because i am you.