If anyone deserves an award, its this human right here. For almost 10,000 days, Bea (Nugget) has lived with me as an older sister. For her, this has meant many years of being my guinea pig for every dumb idea, my tactical dummy for all new combat techniques, and my human shield for any parental punishment as she was always cuter than me. This character building harassment eventually matured into a peer friendship which has become one of my most cherished gifts in life. My gratitude toward Nugget for truly being a sister and friend is beyond words. Whether it is her wit, kindness, humor, or wisdom, she always leaves me amazed. The world would be a better place if everyone had a Nugget.
Talk about a battlefied friend. This girl has walked in the trenches of life with me more times than I could name. She has been with me through it all and has taken me to the ER more than once. One trip even resulting in my being put on heavy, heavy pain killers and her having to stop by my apartment three times a day to put medication in my eye. I had managed to almost blind myself and, to quote the doctor, "WOAH...it looked like a tiger went *SWISH SWISH SWISH* across [my] whole eye!" To be honest, that brief story is a perfect description of our entire friendship - hands-on, selfless, active, kind.
Many friendships don't make it to ten years, but choosing to always have the tough conversations and never give up has resulted in my getting to have the closest friend in Kristian. Together we grew up in college, grew up in God, and grew up in life. If Gus' and my future kids ever end up in the hospital, Kristian isn't the friend I would text and ask to pray, she's probably already in there with us.
MAYAAA! We met very shortly after Gus and I started dating, when Gus decided it was time for me to meet his small group. Sitting outside Konnichiwa at opposite ends of the table, I watched as Maya watched me and quietly observed everything, periodically asking a thoughtful question. I realized in this moment that there were only ever going to be two options for her and me: 1) Stuck forever as "polite" friends or 2) Stuck forever as the best of friends. I crossed my fingers for the latter.
Spoiler alert: We became the best of friends! In such a short time, Maya has become a lifelong friend. She is the epitome of kindness and selflessness. She is full of grace and so much Jesus, and has one of the most consistent and determined prayer lives I have had the privilege of witnessing. From her I have learned peace; and that is no small thing.
Throughout Gus' and my relationship, we have had no bigger cheerleaders than Maya and her husband, John. From the beginning, they buckeled in and have walked this out with us step by step. They have prayed for us, challenged us, and encouraged us. This intense friendship is one of the largest answers to prayer that Gus and I have received together.
My SOUL SISTAAAAAA! Oh my goodness, Jess Clements. It has been the best kind of ten years of friendship with this girl. From the moment she finally let me be her friend to this very day, my life is all the better because of her friendship. We dove headfirst into church together and have never stopped. She is my first text for prayer or a good, kind spiritual smack across the head. She is also my first call for any beatboxing needs to accompany an acapella performance. Please feel free to ask her for a demonstration, but please don't ask to see video proof of any performances. Those times have gone, we have burried them.
You'll never meet another person who is more intentionally kind and loving than sweet Jess. She is also a great depth of wisdom and knowledge all packaged up in a heart full of authenticity. I have learned so much from her friendship over the years and am beyond grateful to have her in my corner heading into this new season.
I think I really got to know Katie one night in college when she was tirelessly working on the " **** square project" for a class. I took her pizza and talked with her while she worked on this design project that required more creative intelligence than I could ever possess. During this "**** square project," I got to see an immense determination, an attention to detail, and a desire for excellence that made me want to be her friend even more. These characteristics bleed into every area of her life and, with grace, she holds those closest to her to the same high standard. It is a gift.
While there are many other stories and thoughts I could share concerning this dear friend, there is just one last note about this human that I would like to share. When needed, Katie has always been there. There was a season when my life completely turned over and when I reached out, Katie grabbed on - as she always does. I hope you all have a "Katie" in your life.
Going on almost TWENTY YEARS of friendship, Mary and I have walked so many unique facets of life together and have really seen each other through every possible awkward stage. From spending five weeks out of the year on the beach leading science experiments to celebrating the highest of highs and comforting in the lowest of lows, we really have done it all. I have always had a friend in Mary and she's never been more than a call away, even when we each only had LAND LINES and had to dodge our 300 million siblings. Over the years, the only thing that has changed is that her southern accent has gotten just a little bit stronger. She is a true friend, a life long friend. One that is always going to feel more like a member of the family than simply a friend. Having her stand next to me in May means something extra special.
