Friends

One of my best friends back home in the states, Brooks, told me something that I have found to be completely true. Brooks is getting married in a couple of weeks. But, almost a year ago when she felt affirmed to marry Adam, she said to me that he was her best friend and she was excited to marry her best friend. Brooks moved back to Atlanta after we graduated and began her masters program. She was farther away from the gang of girlfriends that we had and so we saw her a bit less. Through dating Adam and learning to love him, he became her best friend. I understand. Derek has become my "best friend" in a way that only he can. He can't and never will replace the beauty and ease of comraderie that is alive and well between my friends and I, but he has his special place. I'm thankful for him and the blessing of his friendship and love.

But, today, I am missing my friends. I am missing the surrogate family I found in college and high school, middle school and even younger. I'm missing the girls that have perservered through trials and afflictions, bags of oreos, roadtrips and relationships. I'm missing my best friends. I miss the ability to just text them something random that happens in the day or yelling up the stairs when their alarm goes off for hours. I miss the smell of the food they make, their laughs, their tears (which I have seen plenty of). I miss their families, which became my own.

I'm a very lucky girl, because most of those wonderful girls are going to honor me by standing with me as I commit my life to Derek.

I miss "that's what she said" and "dannnng gina" and "dude, you are not going to believe this (nat) and "what it is" (brooks) and "awwwwwwwwwww" (Melsy) and Emilys ability to make crazy noises and Amy's "awkward rain cloud" and Courtney's "I'm kinda a big deal" and Ashley's tackling hugs and Amanda's "ahhhhhhhhs" and Kristi's "nachoooooo" and Lindsey's "impressions of Jesus videos"...I freaking miss you guys so much. Can't wait to see you!!!!!