The friend who stays through your awkward years is rarer than any trophy you’ll win.

Trophies are won in a narrow window and mostly end up in a box. A friend who stuck around while you were working out your face, your voice and your opinions chose you with no impressive version of you on offer. That is rarer than any result, because it was not earned by performance and cannot be bought later. Nobody reaches twenty-five and acquires a witness to their fourteenth year.

Say the quiet part to that person this week. It does not need to be a speech. Telling them you are glad they stayed through the strange stretch is plenty.