I've made some friends throughout my life that still to this day fill a huge part of my heart! And to them, I dedicate this blog!
My twin sister, Dani, is my other half from conception and still remains as so! As babies, there was a time when my mom folded blankets and placed them on top of our bassinets (we were across the room from each other in separate beds) when the blanket above hers, fell over her face. I instinctively cried at the top of my lungs until my mom came running and found me perfectly fine...but found Dani blue and hardly breathing! I saved her life that day. As toddlers, we were inseparable! Late one night, my parents couldn't find us anywhere in our townhouse...but heard clanging noises in the basement, so they ran down and discovered us eating ketchup out of bowls...we were squirting it from the bottle and chowing down! As pre-teens, we developed different friends and our own identities, but still had a keen sense of each others feelings and emotions. I could always sense if something was wrong with her and she could about me. As adults, we have rekindled our bond. We are now many many miles apart, but still support each other everyday, every second of every minute. She had more dreams about my son during my pregnancy than even I did and she still does. All throughout my pregnancy, she was sure she didn't want to be in the delivery room since she has a phobia of blood...but when the big day came, she couldn't bear to be anywhere else! She was so strong and supportive in the biggest moment of my life! And despite her fear of blood, she has started donating her own and I am so proud of her! We have both had our own struggles throughout our lives, but no matter what battles we have yet to come, we know that we can fight through them with our heads held high, because we will always hold each other up when we dare to waver or fall. She is my sister, my friend, my love!
In my third grade year, I remember seeing a new student walk into class...she had long blond hair and was very petite. Her name is Ashley! I was struck at that moment with a feeling that I had known her all my life. It didn't take long before we started playing together at recess and passing notes in class. She became my best friend. She came to my grandpa's house with me every weekend and pretended we were sisters. We would practice Mariah Carey songs until we knew them word for word and then we would videotape ourselves doing a concert. In our fifth grade year, she shocked me with the news that her and her family were moving back to Arizona. I cried and cried for months. Before she moved, we exchanged our most valuable possessions, so we could feel close to each other even when we weren't. We even put our handprints onto sweatshirts for each other and I wore it 24/7. After she moved, she called me many nights to talk, not realizing there was such a thing as long distance charges. Soon her father received the bill, so we were minimized to mailing letters and pictures. I kept every letter and put them in a box that I named "my Ashley box". I still have that box to this day. In 2004, I was FINALLY able to fly to Arizona for the first time and was reunited with her...almost 8 years later! She called me the day I was to fly there and said she had to work, so wouldn't be able to meet me at the airport, but surprised me with a rose and a big ol' hug as I walked off the plane! She was still tiny, blond and beautiful! I made another trip out a couple years later and we got tattoo's together on our lower belly's. Just this last year, her and her boyfriend Brandon, flew to Michigan for our wedding! We had the best time staying in a hotel the night before the big day! She is a friend that I made so many years ago as only a young child, still is as an adult and always will be!
In my 6th grade year, still distraught and in pain over Ashley moving away...I met an amazing friend who was the smartest in all our class! I envied her brilliance from day one! Her name is Liz. We became fast friends and inseparable at school. We made secret code symbols to sign our letters and even wrote them backwards in case a teacher confiscated them. We slipped the letters into each others lockers in between classes and excitedly waited for them. At one of my birthday parties, in the middle of winter...we played "Truth or Dare" and neither of us could pass up a dare, so we ended up climbing on top of the camper in nothing but our underwear in the middle of the night! Good times! We still laugh about that! In our eighth grade year, she dropped the M word on me...she was moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was again devastated! She moved only a couple weeks later. We continued to write back and forth and occasionally talked on the phone. In 2007, I was finally able to drive to Toledo, where she moved again a few years after moving to Grand Rapids. I stayed with her in her apartment. We went to Olive Garden for dinner, and a concert downtown where I met her fiance, Tony. We talked for hours that night about anything and everything before falling asleep. I didn't get to see her again until the following year at her bridal shower. She chose me as her maid of honor. I was absolutely amazed she gave me such a huge privilege! Although we don't get a chance to see one another or even talk very often, she will always be a huge part of my life and I am confident that we will plan trips to visit each other throughout our lives!
In 2006, I started my first day in Pre-Admission at Allegiance Health Hospital in Jackson, Michigan. I knew no one in the department, so I sat alone in an empty cubicle waiting for my boss to show me what I was to do in my new position. But she never showed. A co-worker introduced me to everyone and told me a little about each one. There were only 7 of us. I remember her telling me that a woman named Alison was usually very quiet and anti-social with them. I soon found out, she was my partner doing the surgery pre-registrations, verifications, authorizations, and P.A.T. She had a horrible migraine that day and was shocked to have to train me since she didn't know I would be starting that day. I wasn't sure what would come out of our relationship. But soon enough, we were quick friends and did everything together. We got along great and laughed easily together. We became so close, that we had days of bickering and irritability with one another, but we always worked it out and laughed about it later. For my 21st birthday, she decorated my cubicle with pink tool, shiny star wiring, balloons and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banners. She planned it so that another co-worker made me a cake (my first cake only for me in all my life...since being a twin, I always shared birthday cakes and parties). It was so sweet! We played many pranks on each other and laughed so hard, we cried! There were days that I gave her the silent treatment and we strictly emailed our feelings, even though we sat 5 feet away from each other. Now we look back and chuckle about it. She was always there for me, no matter what! I don't know how many times I cried on her shoulder, spilled my deep down secrets and fears with her...as she did with me. She went with me the first night I met Josh. She was not only my best friend, but a mother figure for me. It didn't matter what I needed, she always did whatever she could to help me. I never told her enough how much I appreciated all that she did for me, but I plan to always makes sure she knows now. A friendship like this lasts an eternity!
Marrying Josh, blessed me with a new sister named Jessica! We unfortunately have not been able to spend much time together since she lives in Iowa, but what time we have spent together has been so amazing! She has a way about her that makes everyone around her smile! She has the best humor and contagious laugh! I love her childhood stories about her and Josh...I cherish them! When Josh and I visited her and her family, she made me feel instantly comfortable! They welcomed me with open arms! She was my "go to" person with pregnancy questions and concerns...she has the best advice! I couldn't be any more lucky to have such an amazing family!
These are only small details about my Besties...there are so many more! It would take me a lifetime to describe all the feelings and details of how I feel about these women! I was honored to have each one of them as my bridesmaids! It means the world to me that they traveled from far away to be there for me! These are the kinds of friendships that will last for eternity!
