Do any of you have a friend that others are surprised to find out about? Like they say, "Oh you're friends with them?!" and they are kind of confused and don't see why or how? I mean I don't, but I think that's because I am that friend that people are surprised by. I know that I come across harsh and the wrong way at times. If you know me you've probably heard me say something like, "I don't want any new friends. I like the ones I have." I've oftentimes had people say to me "I thought you were really snobby before I knew you." I know these things about myself and I'm trying to be better. Honest. Being likable to everyone is tough and I'm not good at it. You know who is the master of being liked, no loved by everyone is? My best friend, Kellie.
I mean seriously the girl can do no wrong. Everyone who meets her and knows her really and genuinely loves her. Everyone that's friends with her probably consider's her their best friend, but they're wrong. She's mine. :) Kellie is the most caring person that I know. I don't think I've ever heard her speak badly of anyone else. She truly sees good in everyone. In all things. She is a super overachiever, and actually achieves it all. She has the perfect little house that is perfectly decorated all on a perfect little budget. She can't not look cute even if she's rolled out of bed. It's like everything she does is made better by her. She will literally go out of her way to help others. It doesn't matter that she's 6 months pregnant and dealing with her own one-and-a-half year old, she'll check in on me to see how I'm doing. She has a heart of gold and there's no telling how many times she was looked at crazily and asked "You're friends with Lyn?!"
We met when we were in the 5th grade, oh like 20 years?!!?!?! ago. Wow. I'll never forget thinking how crazy my mom was for being hesitant to let me go and spend the night at her house for the first time. I was like, "Mom, it's Kellie. She's perfect." We had planned on staying up all night and watching movies. Then a storm came and knocked the power out. Instead we stayed up talking. We have been through so much together. I mean we went through middle school together and are still friends. I don't care who you are...those are the most awkward times of your life. If you make it through that you can make it through anything. When I think back on my growing up, Kellie is the biggest part of it all.
I remember having the best 6th grade classes and being made to learn how to slow dance in Mrs. Sweeney's class to Madonna. I remember going to her house every morning to catch the bus and every afternoon riding back to her house. I remember we used to eat Totino's pizza for a snack and her seriously burning brownies because she forgot to spray the pan. I remember she taught me the excellent bug killing trick of slamming a phone book down on top of it and leaving it there until someone got home to clean it up. I remember visiting her family in Tennessee and folding ourselves up in the bed and getting stuck, her cousin Kylie creeping us out with her talking in her sleep and us dragging her out into the hallway because she was breathing so loudly. I remember going to church with her, staying up late talking and giggling, sharing who we had crushes on, crying over what seemed to be big problems. I remember her cutting and dying my hair and wondering after the fact if maybe we should've asked permission first. I remember jumping on her trampoline and making secret hideouts that we thought were so cool. I remember going to concerts for the first time with her. I remember going on vacations with her and her coming with me. We used to scope out all of the cute guys and name them and talk about them for the rest of the trip. Or we would speak in random accents. Or the time we got stuck in a torrential downpour while riding bikes on a golf course. I remember once we walked several blocks away from our hotel to get ice cream and getting up to the counter and we both turned to one another and said, "I don't have the money. I thought you had the money." I remember riding roller coasters dozens of times in a row. I remember doing the crazy catapult thing in Pigeon Forge and laughing until I thought I would burst. I remember the most terrifying haunted house ever. I remember camping and getting my period for the first time and then going horseback riding the next day. Awesome. I remember going to England together and sneaking out after hours to walk around in Bath and then being scared and rushing back to our room, getting locked out of church on Easter Sunday in Stratford Upon Avon all because Kellie had to go to the bathroom and 14th century churches don't have indoor plumbing and seeing our tour bus drive off without us, getting Kellie's suitcase opened by a "professional lock picker" in London and our alarm not going off the next morning and having to scramble to leave. I remember getting my license and the first place I drove myself was to her house. It was my house too. Her family became my family. I remember going to parties and prom and gathering at her house to watch TV with friends. I remember a thousand classes with her and then all of a sudden we were graduating. I remember the intense sadness I felt when she was going away to Argentina for two years. I remember wondering if I were going to lose her. If I were going to be forgotten or replaced. I was so excited when I got mail from her the first time...even if it was sent in a panty hose package envelope. I remember thinking how amazing it was that we were engaged three months apart from one another and then the next year married three months apart from one another.
I am amazed now at how are lives are still so intertwined. Having taught together, having our daughter's, becoming stay at home mom's, and now we'll both me mom's of two daughter's soon. It makes me so wonderfully excited to see our daughters become friends. I can't wait to see what's in store for them. Will they grow to be as close? Will we see ourselves growing up all over again in them? How fun for them to start making their own memories with each other.
Kellie and I have been through so much together. Somehow I've been lucky and blessed enough to keep you as a friend. I'm still unsure why you choose to have me in your life, but I'm so thankful. We've done the whole laugh-till-it-hurts thing more times than we could count. We've talked through feelings and dreams too embarrassing to share with just anyone. We've shared the details of the everyday stuff of life no one else would probably care about. Even though we've seen our lives change so much I know without a doubt that nothing will ever change how much your friendship means to me, Kellie. You see, so much of my life has been with you. You are truly irreplaceable and I love you very much. Much more than a friend. You are my sister. I can Count On You. You can Count On Me.
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