My Best Friend.

This post is dedicated to Rebecca Suzanne Koop Rackley.

Bec and I have been best friends our entire lives. Like, quite literally our entire lives. Our moms worked at the same hospital, we were in diapers together, Daisy Girl Scouts together, elementary school, middle school, high school, and in 2009, I was a bridesmaid in her wedding.

We’ve been through everything together. Through thick and thin… and let me tell you, there’s been a whole lot of thick. Or is it thin that’s the bad stuff? You know what I mean. Other people have come and gone, but Bec has always been there. We can (and often do) go a few months without talking on the phone, but it’s not for any bad reason… we are just busy, but we both know that the moment we pick up the phone and call each other, we’re right back where we left off. My friendship with Bec is one that will last a lifetime.

We’re different in a lot of ways. She’s so adventurous, outdoorsy, and beautiful. I, too, love being outside, I am just not a fan of bugs, or darkness, or things that might eat me… and I’m rather awkward. She snowboards. I can make a snowball. She rides an ATV and mountain bikes, I have a 1970-something flippin’ sweet Huffy with a flat tire that has sat on my porch for a minute. But none of that matters. We both laugh a whole lot, we love life, and we love each other.

When my mom got sick, Bec was there. When my grandfather died, Bec was there. When my mom’s family turned their back on us, Bec was there. When my mom was going through treatment after treatment, Bec was there. When boyfriends came and went, Bec was there. And when my mom died, Bec was there. Not only was Bec there, but so was her little brother (and by little brother, I mean the giant man that just graduated from college) Nick, and her mom Suzi. They have always made me feel like I’m a part of their family. And, of course, I’ve been there for Bec.

I say all of this because last Spring, Bec moved to Colorado. SO FAR AWAY. 🙁 But she’s “in town” this weekend! And by “in town” – I mean she’s on the same coast. So this afternoon, I’m driving four hours to the Outer Banks for the day to see my Best Friend. I haven’t seen her in over a year, but I know it will be just like it was when she left.

I am so incredibly grateful, thankful, and blessed for my best friend. I can’t wait till we’re like, 95 years old and still listening to mix CD’s we made in the 5th grade, and reading our journal we shared, and calling each other Pheby and Buckaroo, and saying things in weird voices, and quoting “Airplane” because we’ve seen it over 10,000 times at that point.

Think about the person in your life that’s always been there, and tell them how much you love them.

All for now.