For Dasa

the sister I chose

Today, Dasa turns 20.
And even though I’m not right beside her, a piece of my heart is glowing with joy. Because this girl—this brilliant, funny, brave, chaotic, soft-hearted girl—has been in my life for over 13 years. And that’s something worth writing about.

We didn’t start as best friends. We were strangers once. Then classmates. Then friends. Then best friends. And now… she’s my family. Not by blood, but by every shared laugh, secret, plan, promise, and late-night conversation that stitched our souls together.

At 16, we gave each other promise rings. Not for romance. But for something just as powerful—friendship, loyalty, a future. We swore that if by 30, we were both still navigating this world alone, we’d build a home together. We’d take care of one another, live life side by side.

We’ve seen each other in every form—messy, broken, ecstatic, quiet, wild, lost, found again.

We used to sit at the back of the classroom, eating too much, competing over who could handle more horseradish (don’t ask), planting grass in our teacher’s flower pot during Romanian class, and laughing so hard it felt like our ribs would crack. We’d sneak books under the desk and read when we were supposed to be studying, explore the town during online lessons, wave at the same old lady by the park every day after school.

We made the ordinary magical.
We made girlhood sacred.
And we made each other feel seen when no one else did.

Now, we don’t talk every day. We’ve grown. Life pulled us in different directions, as it tends to do. But even with the silence, I never doubt her place in my life. She’s there, in my memories, in my roots, in my heartbeat. And when we reunite? It’s like nothing ever changed. The world melts away and we’re just two girls again, dreaming of growing up together.

That’s the thing about soul friendships—
They don’t need daily proof.
They live in the way your heart sighs when you think of them.

So Dasa, if you’re reading this:
I love you. Deeply, forever, without needing a reason. Thank you for being my home in human form.

Happy birthday, my sister, my mirror, my always. 🌼

Love A. Dumitrita

To anyone reading this:
If you have a friend like Dasa, hold onto them. Nurture that bond, even through distance or silence. The world shifts, people grow, but real friendship—the kind that sees your soul and stays—deserves to be cherished.

And if you haven’t found that person yet, I promise they exist. Somewhere out there is someone who will plant grass with you in a flower pot just to make you laugh, who will walk with you through every version of yourself.

Love like that is rare. And when it happens, it’s a kind of magic.

Hold it close. Let it grow.