for my dear aeh

I love birthday posts. They give me the extraordinary opportunity to GUSH unabashedly about friends and family who give my life so much meaning. And this one is for Annie.

Oh, Anne.

I know for certain our friendship was 'ordained' or something, since the first thoughts I had about you were for sure divinely appointed.

flashback: She and I were in the same sorority, but she had studied abroad the first semester and so we didn't really know each other that well. She was back in the States, and back at school, and I introduced myself to her and tried to be nice (Some times, sorority life tried me so. It was certainly an effort to be outgoing sometimes...sorry President Frita). ANYWAYS, I smiled at her and the thought ran across my mind: You should be kind to her. Strange, I know, especially because I'm always nice. (Jk) But I do remember thinking she had a friendly smile. Little did I know she was one of the KINDEST, most gracious, generous, HILARIOUS and wonderful people in the universe, and I would be lucky enough to call her best Friend in the near future. And so we began a journey into a friendship that is certainly God ordained. Why do I say "God ordained" like we ended up sharing kidneys or something? Well, only because I feel like God has used her in my life to

challenge,
strengthen,
encourage,
sharpen,
refine,
teach,
and of course,
make me laugh until my sides bust.

From living hilarious, awkward and Arrow-worthy adventures of college, to exploring post-college life through YWAM, to parting ways as "adult life" took us different directions, to me refusing to part ways and moving into her parent's back house,

I can only say that I am so grateful to be a part of her life.

And so, to celebrate, I've put together a brief list of the things I've learned because of AEH:

1. How to not say the first thing that comes to my mind (Priceless)
2. How to say the things that come to my mind in a more loving way (Priceless)
3. How important it is to check on baked goods 60 seconds after they are placed in the oven (No charge?)
4. How to create lovely things out of scraps of paper from Michael's (Approx. $5.99)
5. How to make someone feel so LOVED and CELEBRATED during Birthday Week (One Million Dollars)
6. How to peruse the world wide web and find things like wedding contest entries and great wedding hair (Priceless)
7. How to lay down your life for a friend and for the least of these (Eternal pricelessness)
8. How to confront lovingly (Owie. No charge)
9. How to pack all sorts of important and necessary things into a bag over and over again (No monetary value)
10. How to manage to listen to things going on in another's life when your life is equally as nuts (seriously priceless)

It does seem as if I could never repay her (or God) for her in my life. What to do, what to do... I guess that means I just enjoy it? Just enjoy the crazy joy to know someone who you can be SO FULLY yourself. I can be totally terrible, selfish, uncouth and sarcastic and she will only laugh at me like that's not REALLY who I am. I can be totally unselfish, giving, kind, considerate, gracious, and holy, and she will be there to encourage the crud out of those behaviors. She's like the best behavioral therapist and friend all rolled into one!

And that's why I feel like our relationship is God-ordained. It's with her like it is with Jordan, so freeing and yet still so binding to our Jesus' side.

One day, Annie, I aspire to be just like you. I can't wait to see where your adventures bring you next. And I can't wait for you to move into the Duplex and for the next part of our adventure together to begin.

LIKE TEN T-REXES, FRIEND!

love,

me