As I walk out of my car and into the school holding my keys, I hear it jingle against the rest of my useless keychains. I look down at the delicate piece of metal and smile, holding it up to see it in the morning sun. A small keychain, cold to the touch, with smooth but bumpy edges. A pretty sunflower dangles from my keys that is so shiny it glitters in the sun. Painted with yellow, white, and silver, and a reminder that I always have a best friend. 

A shorter girl with tight, dark curls that wrap around her face perfectly, and a smile that could bring the sun on a rainy day. Her laugh is as contagious as a cold, and her glowing face is like a star in the night sky. She's been a part of my life since the day I was born, and she’s never left my side since then. A cousin that formed into a best friend. She has the sweetest and kindest soul, who has given me so much more than a keychain. Her name is Chloe. 

Surrounded by my cousins of many different ages, Chloe pulls into the long, dirt driveway with a brand new gray equinox. The dirt from the road brings up dust, and I wave my hands around trying not to get it on my face. Gasps and “ooo’s” fill the air from my younger cousin's mouths as Chloe gets out of the shiny, clean car. As I open the door to it, my nose is filled with different scents. Some from the evergreen air freshener hanging from the mirror, and some from the fact that it was a new car. I take a deep breath to enjoy the wonderful aroma and I see Chloe turn around to me, her black curly hair moving with her head. She holds out her hand, with a small sunflower keychain in her hand. Now that she had a new set of keys and a fresh start on life, she told me this flower was mine to keep. It is a symbol of that day, when my family was all together. 

The sunflower on my keychain reminds me of more than just my cousin. It is a reminder of the many long vacations we’ve gone on together, all of the days laying in the warm sun trying to get a tan, and all of those times in between when my cousins were all together. Simply looking at the keychain takes me back to the long month last summer that my family spent in The Outer Banks. Filled with days of running into the salty, warm ocean, and falling asleep on the couch listening to my cousin's small voices while they talk. The enormous 3 story house, along with my big family, became a sense of comfort, as  did the beautiful orange pink sunsets each night. This small keychain has impacted my life because it has taught me to cherish the small moments you have with family, and how important it is to know that you always have your family on your side. They won’t ever leave you on your own, and will always be your best friends when you need them. The sunflower’s significance will never be lost, I will forever be thinking about my best friends, my family.