Today in national friendship day so I thought I would celebrate it with a blog post celebrating all the people in my life who make it so deep and rich and meaningful! I wish that today I could gather all these people together and have big party and tell each one how much they mean to me but since that is impossible, I'm going to do my best to do that here!
In my 31 years I have had the opportunity to have such a board and diverse group of friends. Some have come in and out of my life but everyone has made some sort of impact and made me a more complete person.
Stephanie Schutzenhofer and Clare Barratt were some of my first friends. The filled my elementary school years with games, bikes, girl talk, clubs, and some ridiculous memories. I never had school friends quite like them and I'm thankful for those 2 years of fun that we had along with my sister!
Speaking of my sister, she and I had our moments but I am so thankful that she is someone that no matter what happens in life or how far apart we are she will always be there. We grew up together and know how much we each have changed. I am thankful that I got to be a part of her wedding to her best friend and soon get to call myself an aunt to her daughter and that I can always call her one of my best friends!
During my nine summers at Teen Missions I had the unique opportunity to spend time with 20-30 other people serving and learning all over the world. There is something unique that happens when you bath in a pirana filled river together or hike the swiss alps, or all get jungle rut from standing in water building a foundation that overcomes a multitude of life experiences and distance. I know the friends I've made at TMI will understand these crazy summers like no one else can!
Though it was small, my group of friends in high school gave me the opportunity to learn what it meant to challenge and encourage each other. We tried to figure out how to grow up, start relationships, and step into adulthood in the right way and had lots of fun doing it :)
FCC gave me my first real best friend and a multitude of others who laughed with me, cried with me, taught with me, learned with me, challenged me, and encouraged me. Bethany Jett was the my first friend and helped introduce me to college life. She made that first semester so much fun! My roommates throughout my four and a half years taught me how to live with people well and just how amazing it can be to live with other girls and how those relationships can last for years after. Morgan and Beth were so kind and encouraging to a new freshman girl who had no idea what she was doing. Living with Becca, Emily, Serenity, and Jennifer my junior year was epic! Including the infamous night to remember, too many late nights, and an opportunity to live with some of my best friends! Katie, Liz, Emily, and Crystal made my last year such a memorable and special one, even though we had to live in 3 different apartments in 9 months-I wouldn't have wanted any other experience. There are so many others who made my time at FCC special. I'm so glad I got to celebrate bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, and birthdays. I got to learn with amazing classmates, play basketball with some great girls, pray with and learn from so many. I'm so glad I still run into former classmates because those relationships were life changing. I love it that I still get to travel with Crystal, Rachel and Miriam and there are not many others I would rather take these adventures with! FCC taught me so much about friendship and each one of these people changed my life!
My year in Lincoln was filled with some pretty awesome people as well. Transitioning from the unique college experience was hard but these people made it better. The girls I got to work with as Head Resident in Harmony dorm were so much fun and helped me realize how much I enjoy working with college age ministry! Elilo and Sophia made my time in Lincoln so much fun, taught me about their home cultures, made me amazing food, and loved me. I'm thankful that even though they are far away they are still a part of my life. Lisa was such a great roommate and even though I never exercised with her, I'm so glad I got to be a part of her wedding years later!
Muncie had it's ups and downs but through that experience I learned so much about what community can truly look like and I am thankful for the good and bad times. Mindie Moore and Beth Amos were two of the first people I was able to get to know. I loved so much our hour...or two hour lunches at MT Cup. These two ladies helped me get through that first year of transition. I don't know if I would have survived without them. I am so thankful that we can still meet today and have the same amazing conversations and that we can still challenge and encourage and love each other through the crazy things in our lives.
I also had the unique opportunity to hang out with so many amazing girls through accountability groups and hours of Just Dance at my house! I am so thankful for the opportunities I had to hear about these girls lives and to watch as they loved and served each other. Caity Rickey, Cindy Thom, Maria Wilkinson, Elle Benson, Laura Casey, and Kristen Dauterman thanks for being my first ever group and for teaching me how to even start to do this sort of mentoring and thanks for sticking with it through the good and the bad. Esther, Mariah, Jessica, Mollie, Amy, Allison, Lauren, Anna, Carmen, Kayla, Bridget, Charlotte, Brooke, Elizabeth, Holly, Sarah, and Becca thank you for sharing your life with me, the good and the bad moments, and letting me share mine with you. I love each and every one of these girls.
There are so many that were such an encouragement through all the craziness that happened. I'm thankful for Hannah Lemmons and her nights staying on my futon and the special ways she would be an encouragement to me and others. For the many nights of wii and other fun with Jeremy Lemmons. I miss that! For Kellan Deam who is one of the most generous people I have ever met. I'm so glad for the many times Allison Menze would come just to sit on my comfy couch. I'm thankful for the mentoring coffee meetings with Becca Schafer were she would be as much of an encouragement to me as I a mentor to her. For Holly Brown and her passion for those who have been unjustly injured and her willingness to step out and love people. Lauren Mccready helped move me so many times and I loved having her live with me...even when her socks were all over my living room! For Chris Dobbs who always checks in and has treated me to Olive Garden more than anyone should! For Tim Little who was such an encouragement in the midst of all the bad. I could go on and on but I am so lucky to have experienced the love and friendship of each one of these people and so many more, including the many international students who expanded my understanding and taught me so much about the world!
This past year in Virginia was unexpected but I was blessed with a group of ladies from my church who I got to meet with and were an encouragement in a pretty sucky time in my life. And the two ladies I worked with at Brooke Point High School reminded me that I can keep going and take the next step in my life. I am glad that people show up even in the most unexpected times. My parents and brother were also such a special part of this year, even though they are family they walked with me as friends through the mess.
There are some people in your life that you go through such crazy stuff with that you form a bond for life. I would do anything for these people and I know they would do the same for me. They are amazing and each make my life special in a different way.
Cindy Thom has been my roommate off and on for 3 years and a friend for longer than that. I have learned a great deal from her and I am so thankful that she is one of the people in my life that we can have some of the hardest and deepest conversations one second and then sing karaoke late into the night. I am grateful for the adventure around America and overseas and that I know there will be so many more! I am grateful that we are "soulfriends"! I am grateful for the terrible times and the good times because they have made our friendship what it is. I know without a doubt that amazing things are going to happen.
Maria Wilkinson has been a rock for me in my life. I know she would tell you that I've done so much for her but she has done so much more for me. I am thankful for the years that we lived together and maybe we'll get to do it again! I'm thankful that she challenges me but also loves me and listens to me no matter what. It is amazing to know that there is someone who is just on your side no matter what. She loves people and can get people to listen to her when no one else will. I couldn't do life with out this lady in it. Plus she makes the most amazing baked goods!!
Josh and Mikala Casey are more than just former coworkers and friends, they are family. Cadence and Leland are such an important part of my life and I love getting to be a part of theirs! I will do my best to be a good godmother to them :) Josh has taught me about forgiveness, trust, and loving each other through good and bad. I love our deep theological conversations over tea, I loved working with such a creative and passionate person and learned so much from his depth of knowledge. I'm glad to know that no matter what happens, this person will be in my life! Mikala is the kind of friend I need. She is someone who can help me see through the emotional fog in my life and can speak truth when I need it. I love it that she is willing to be spontaneous with me and that her couch is a pit of happiness that I can fall into for hours. Plus she is a pretty amazing wife and mom and was an amazing partner in ministry! This family is essential to my well being and I'm so glad I'm only a few hours away, though across the street was better and hopefully that will happen again someday.
I kind of can't believe Serenity Johnson and I have been friends for almost 13 years! From our first meeting at fake orientation I knew this girl was going to be someone special in my life. I'm thankful for the weird random things we did in college, like count the water fountains. I love that I got to take class with this girl, even though we were sometimes inattentive students and that we were coeditors of the most amazing yearbooks! I'm glad we got to live together, you came to my house for thanksgiving multiple times, that I got to be your maid of honor, that we lived minutes from each other in Cincinnati, that I got to visit you in South Korea, that I get to love and get to know your children, that we can watch ridiculous marathons and talk about our lives, good and bad, simultaneously! I'm thankful that we don't get to see each other as much as we should it's always just home when we are together. I'm thankful that you were my first best friend and showed me what that looked like.
I love these people so much and I am so grateful for friendship. I'm grateful that we were not meant to live alone and when I look at the proof of all the amazing people in my life, I can say that I don't. Happy National Friendship Day!!!!!!!!!!
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