Girlfriends!

July 5. 2012

Dear Dad:

I have to say that one of my all time favorite things that has been a constant in my life has been my girlfriends. I have had some of the most amazing friends a girl could ever want or need. The thing I learned along the way, is some friends are forever and some are for a moment in time. Regardless, they have all had a huge lasting part of my life.  One I want to share:

Ashley: My very first friend ever, and I will never forget her. We connected through our parents when we were around 6 months and remained best friends for many years. It wasn’t until I thought I was too cool, did we start to drift apart. She could call me today and I would do anything for her or her family.

Ansley: Ansley has been the person who has had the most impact on me as far as girlfriends go. We too met at 6 months years of age and were sole sisters instantly. I lived to be with her and even though we came in and out of each others lives (and still do) she was always there for me. We had an amazing time together as teenagers. Most of the time we went to different schools, but that never mattered. When she started dating Travis and we were in similar clicks, the rest was history. We then followed a surfer and moved to Florida together. The memories there are ones I can never write about but ones I will always remember! I would have had a blast finishing off our college years together. We don’t see each other enough but I will always be a phone call away for her.

Maggie: Maggie was my Forrest Gump friend. We met while riding a bus in first grade when she came up to me and introduced herself when no one else would. The rest was history. When we reconnected years later, we spent most of our days together and did lots of crazy things. Wild Dunes was our playground and my memories of the beach will always include our years together.

Sisters: Michele, Toire and Alys Anne have always been some of my best friends. I love them dearly as family but I also love them for the friendships we have shared. We too have gone through peeks, valleys and mountains and sometimes we are closer than others but I love them more than any other friend I have ever had.

Alpha Delta Pi: There are too many friends aka “sisters” to name, but ADPi produced the greatest number of friends that I have ever had at one time. I loved becoming a sorority sister and instantly having so much love and support. I loved the spirit weeks, the formals and the Greek Week parties. I especially loved breaking the rules, living  in the house and driving Mama Jean nuts! I have big “lemon drop” shot love for my roomies Liz and Jenn and have so many crazy, awesome, life long memories because of all those girls. Pi love!

Khaki: I was technically Khaki’s boss but we became more of great friends and fun work mates than anything else. She and I instantly bonded (especially when she embraced my pez collection) and even though we only had a few years together in the same city, she was (and is) a really important friend. I really love that we can go a year without talking, and instantly pick right up on things, like it was yesterday. I love that she takes such great care of herself and she is just so much fun. I can’t wait until that next trip when we see each other again.

Amy: This is going to break my heart to write and she will probably have her own letter/blog some day. Amy was an intern for me at the Aquarium and we instantly became friends. She was a red-head with a passion like no other. She loved life, loved the planet, loved to surf…on and on. She was the most thoughtful friend. She would buy me little gifts just because and she was always asking and remembering about my most important moments. That is why it was so easy to become friends. It was devastating that she had cancer and eventually died. My first friend to die and I think about her all the time. If I had a daughter I would have named her after Amy. That is how amazing she was.

Festival (girl) Friends: There are too many people to list here. Lisa, Linn, Ashley, Annie and now there is Melany, Melissa, Sarah and more. I have met and become friends with so many amazing women who each have impacted me in incredible ways. We have been friends throughout the years and only continue to get to know each other. I love the new girlfriends I have met even recently and cannot wait to have fun adventures with them.

Friends with Kids: I have met a ton of people through my two boys and am glad to say some of them have turned out to be really good friends. We are mostly too crazed to really hang out to get to know each other, but there are a few that take the time to take a break. Meeting these new friends, has reminded me that it is important to be open to new people and experiences. I could list several names but the one friend that has really become an instant BF is Eva! I am convinced that her and I have known each other for life–that is how easy it is. I hope to have these friends part of me for the years to come.

Festival Staff: I know you should not be friends with who you work with, but too bad. The girls I work with are more than friends, they are family. I am so fortunate to have some amazing women on my team and I have really loved getting to know them through the years. They are quite the friends, and quite the team.

So there is just a sample of the girlfriends I have part of my life. I can’t wait to see the list I add to this in the future!

Angel