Shawty Bae

There are few things that come even remotely close to the gift of your friendship. Chocolate and plane tickets are definitely in the running, but you making your way into my life trump both of those. 

I know you know this story because I’ve told you before, but the very first time I ever met you, I thought you hated me… which is so funny because I always see memes that say, “the best friendships always start out with one of them thinking that the other hated them at first.” It was my junior year, and we were at Sophia Swofford’s house for her birthday, and me and Jessy had come late because we knew it was going to be a bunch of theatre kids who we didn’t know. We walked into the backyard, you were in the pool, and never in my life have I tried to avoid eye contact with someone so drastically before. 

I don’t know what it was, but I could’ve sworn up and down that you took one look at me, and absolutely hated my guts… which is so funny to think. Because the next true interaction I feel like I had with you, was when you showed up at youth group randomly one night a few weeks before winter camp in 2020. It’s like you were a completely different person. Maybe a part of you was, but you were not the scary intimidating high school girl that I avoided talking to at a party. You were swiggity swaggity Paika Marks in full force. 

I know every once in a while we’ll be in my car driving, or at a coffee shop, and we’ll all of the sudden get all sappy with each other, and then we both get kinda awkward and brush it off because that’s just how we are. But, right now, I’m not brushing it off. Because the whole world (or at least the 4 people who read my blog) need to know just how cool and swag and funny and kind and amazing you are! 

This sounds like the set up for a love story… and in a way it is because I love you a butt ton. You’re like my sister from another mister (thanks Patrick) or like I was an amputee and they gave me my arm back (you’re my arm). So naturally, this is me telling the masses the straight up facts about your heart. 

There are certain components I feel like a best friend has… or at least a GOOD friend. Because you and I know both know that you can have a best friend, but that doesn’t make them a good friend. 

But you are the definition of a GOOD friend.

There’s never been a time where I’ve felt like I couldn’t tell you something. I can come to you, and be like, “Hey, I straight up just made a toddler cry,” and you’d be like “Ok, well, not ideal, but we can work with it.” There’s no fear between us, which in itself is liberating. In the past, there have been times, where I’d desperately need to confide in someone, but dreaded doing so because at the end of the day, I couldn’t have a moment where they’d just listen and be there for me when I needed it. We always say this, but our friendship is not one-sided, and that’s so sick. 

We should write a book on healthy friendships. That’d slap.

Also, I will go to my grave saying this, but you are the MOST empathetic person I have ever met. And it’s so beautiful. My whole life I’ve struggled to have that characteristic. As I’ve gotten older, I think I’ve gotten better, but it comes so naturally to you. There’s never a time where you’re not thinking about someone’s feelings or how they might feel in a certain situation, and I see it on the daily. When Nord died, and you came over for the first time since it’d happened, I opened my front door, and there were already tears in yours eyes and a hug waiting for me. It’s things like that that I will never overlook or take for granted. 

Bruh, also, some of the stuff you send me 1) makes me deeply question if you’re okay, but also 2) makes me laugh actual tears. I have provided examples below of your most comical moments. I don’t care what anyone says, but if you have a friend and they’re not funny, they’re boring. I don’t do boring. I only partake in friendships where they’ll make tik toks with me at an 8th graders flag football game.

Another thing that makes me feel insurmountably blessed to have you as a friend, is the fact that you’re SO positive, and it’s so refreshing. You make everything fun, everything chaotic, and everything warm. You are the definition of a light- in every form of the word: Spiritually, metaphorically, blindingly etc. 

I think the best thing about you though, is the fact that as crazy, energetic, and  as wild as you can be, you balance it with depth, connection, and love. I think that’s so rare. You’re not afraid to have the deep conversations, and coming form someone who used to avoid those like the plague, they’re so natural and easy with you. There are times when I WISH I had voice recorded some of our conversations just so I could have them forever because they’re THAT good. You are the very first real sister in Christ that I’ve had, and it’s insane the joy that has in friendship.

You’re my favorite person to see throughout the week, my favorite person to be weird with, my favorite person to drive along the coast with listening to sick jams, and of course, my favorite person to learn about the Lord with. There are a few people I would consider responsible for planting the seed in my faith, and you are definitely one of them. Without you, I would not be where I am today. You push me, you give the advice I need to hear, you show love when it’s needed, and you make me laugh like no other. 

You’re my best friend.

And I love you. 

More than you know.

This post is really late, because it was supposed to be for your birthday, but you know me, I’m never on time and I took forever to finish and try to perfect this. But happy birthday shawty bae. Thanks for being my human. 

I hope 19 is as sick and swag and cool as you are!

Sky