I have a dear friend from high school, Jennie, who never ceases to elicit emotion from me. Many times its sheer joy and laughter, like the times in high school….when we were stupid and dumb….and we decided to steal a garbage can from a city park. Why would we want to steal a garbage can? I have no clue.  Nevertheless, we decided that’s what we were going to do with our evening, and I will never forget how hilarious it was to watch her rolling this huge garbage can from the park pavilion to the back of the “get-a-way” car and then wrestling with it to try and smash into the back seat. It is memories like this one and so many others that makes her such a precious friend.

Unfortunately, sometimes the emotion that floods my heart when I think about Jennie is heartache and sorrow (if you will remember, I wrote a post about her and the struggles her mom has been going through with her battle against cancer). And as if having a mother with cancer isn’t enough to choke me up, I’ll never forget how I felt when I found out that she went into labor 6 weeks before her due date and nearly died giving birth. She had a rare complication with her pregnancy called HELLP syndrome. Her liver was bleeding, she had an emergency C-section, and her life was touch and go for days after the ordeal. But like anything else Jennie has ever had to overcome, she fought back and won. She made a full recovery and her son is a beaming, healthy young boy.

From the moment I met Jennie, we have always had a special kind of relationship. You know the type of friend, the one who you can go weeks and sometimes even months without talking to because life gets busy and time flies by, but when you finally do reconnect, it’s like you haven’t missed a beat. That’s the kind of friend Jennie has been to me all these years. We have very similar personalities, so we have had our moments when in one way or another, we have hurt each other’s feelings. But it’s never been intentional and it’s never put even so much as a dent in our friendship. I think back to high school and the fondest memories I have, include Jennie. I reminisce about difficult struggles I’ve faced in my adult life, and she again is there in the memories as a shoulder to lean on.

I look to her in awe at all she has accomplished. She has a terrific marriage….I think I may love her hubby as much as I love her. She has gorgeous, intelligent children, and she is truly a terrific mother. She has also managed….on top of being a doting wife and mother…..to establish an esteemed career. A career I’ve always craved, but never chased….so to see her succeed in such a fashion makes me beam with pride over her success.

And no matter how insane her life gets, she still does a great job at being a wonderful daughter/sister to her family and a loyal friend to many. I can’t say that I’ve been nearly as good at prioritizing my busy life to include my friends as she manages to do. I often feel like a bad friend because I get so wrapped up in my day-to-day life that I don’t take the time to be the friend to her that she deserves. She is always in my thoughts and always on my mind, but I don’t slow down long enough to make the phone call or send out the email like I should to stay in touch. For that…I am sorry.

I truly marvel at all she has done with her life and it moves me to tears to think of who she was as a 15 year-old, high school girl…..and to look at her now….this amazing, beautiful, well educated, and talented woman. She has never failed to be a friend to me and while I know I have failed her on many occasions, I just want her to know what a gift her friendship has been to me all these years. I want her to read this and walk away knowing that I truly consider her a gift from God above, and that I’m blessed to have her in my life and to call her my friend.

Of all the changes I’ve experienced over the years….all the highs and lows, she remains one of the only constants in my life…and for that, I am eternally grateful!

Jennie, while mere words are not enough…and I am failing miserably here to articulate how much you mean to me…please know that I love you! Thank you for being you!