I have this friend -

I have this one friend. You know. The kind that while you are supposed to be nonchalantly sitting in the background, quietly talking like a grownup....you are instead choking on your food and turning red and trying to look like you aren't in 8th grade again. (Hypothetically, of course) And your friend isn't any help because she's the one making you choke in the first place. And while people start staring, you repeat together "Be quiet, be quiet - BE QUIET!", which just makes you laugh harder. 

We allllll have that friend. We aallllll need that friend. That friend that sees the same awkward thing at the exact same time as you, and your expressions match perfectly, and you try not to be obvious about it. The one that tells you inside jokes that shouldn't even be funny anymore, but they just are. 

The one that dies laughing because you just tripped and hurt yourself, and they can't help you because they are doubled over trying to breathe. The one that takes a picture before they help you up. The one that scares the living daylights out of you by randomly yelling "Jellyfish!" when you are halfway through a wave, and then you realize she threw seaweed at your head. 

The one that my Sunday school kids know about because of Converse and Longboarding. The one that balances on tree branches with you, and never complains about taking random photos. 

The one that sings at the top of her lungs with you in the car and doesn't even care that you can't sing as well as she can. The one that wants to go road-tripping with you. The one that sometimes repeats things that you just said because she was going to say it first. Or because it was so hilarious it needed to be said twice.

Life would be boring without that friend. Life would not be near as hysterical-laughter-inducing. 

But you know who I'm talking about. Because you are probably friends with her too. ;) It's Becs.  

You might know her as Becca, or Bobby Jo, as she is sometimes referred to on here. ;) But I pretty much always call her Becs. And holy cow, how cute is she? These pictures in this post are from last January, when we went to the Scottish Festival here in FL, on seriously - THE coldest day of the Winter of '11-'12. It was SO cold. But we had a blast. And we became archers in about 2 minutes. And we got up and Irish step-danced on a hill to some amazing Celtic artists. And I cried at the bagpipes.

Ok. So now you know where the photos are from. I just felt they needed some explanations. ;)

She's the one that I send hysterical and sometimes ridiculous prints off of Pinterest too, and we laugh so hard, because it makes sense to us, even though it probably shouldn't. She's the one that doesn't care what I look like without makeup, and she's the one that can pick up any instrument and play it better than I can. (yes, that is annoying) She's the one who sat down and sight-read out of my Christmas book while my Sunday school students sat and stared. YES. That friend.

She's the one you want to send funny things to, because you know her reaction will be the best. She is the one that makes you laugh when you shouldn't, and also when you don't even want to.

She's tall and graceful and she's the one that shows you up every. single. time. you try to dance. You are the one looking like a total white girl that doesn't have hips, and she's the one that you can tell she danced for 13 years. Mmmmhmm. 

She's the one that spontaneously breaks out into Southern Baptist "Well!"'s, and "Mmmhmm!"'s, and "Aaaaaamen!"'s, because of that one time last year that we all went to that extremely happy and extremely Southern Baptist church that loved to sing on forever, and preach it like happy African Americans love to do. So she's that one that breaks out those pretend accents with me whenever we want. And that also applies to every other accent we think we can do, but we actually can't. 

She's the one that laughs when she knows I'm *this* close to losing my temper, and reminds me we are alive. 

She's that one you send things to in the middle of the night when you can't sleep and you are bored, and the one who you instantly want to tell news to, because they have to know. That friend you want to weigh in, and even when you don't, they do anyway, because you probably need a little balancing out. 

That friend that gets high on sugar with only about 10 sips of an Icee. hahhahaha. That friend you LOVE to take pictures of, and then they don't make it on the blog, but your friend forgives you, because she knows you love her anyway. (hint, cough, grad pics, cough) She's the one that looks gorgeous, and if she looks anything but that, it's either because we are nerds, or because you are doing something wrong with your camera. And then occasionally you win out - and she shrieks with you. ;)

That friend that likes to just hang out and be with you, and go on long drives through the Florida landscapes with you. The one that is alwaaaaays up for going to the beach, and loves your best friends (and their babies). That one that calls you up to invite you to her family get-together just so you feel wanted and welcome. (sniff! so sweet!) She's that girl that you can talk about nothing for hours with, and yet feel like you conquered half the world's problems because you agree on it. Haha. 

She's hyper and crazy and ecstatic, and is over the moon about things that are important to you. 

She's the one who sings her heart out, and whether her voice holds out or not, her soul does. We don't go to church together, but we have community together, and our families are bonded together. That is what the gospel does, and we looooove the Foster family. :) They are so sweet to us. 

Finding our clans on the Scottish map, mine is Mackintosh, and hers is Macdonald. :) We decided that even though they may have been warring clans, we certainly weren't going to be. haha. 

She's the friend that tells you to follow your dreams, and get out there and do it. She's the friend that tells you you CAN do it, when you think you aren't qualified or good enough. She's the friend that my dog LOVES to see come over, because she knows she is in for some snuggles. And she's also the friend that I know won't get offended by something I say. Which is awesome, because we all know that chatty people have that problem. But it's not a problem with Becs, she'll either let me know, or dish it right back out. Now that is rare, y'all!

She's sweet, caring, funny, and super smart, oh, and she loves Math. I don't love Math. At all.

She's the one who loves things like paddle boarding, surfing, long boarding and insane fair rides while I go swimming where there are gators (oops), and kayaking and climbing tall trees. And we share stories and we laugh because we somehow managed to survive. All praise to God on that one!!

She's the one who loves to sing Adele with me, and Mumford and Sons and the Civil Wars.

She's the one that I talk about what to wear to places, and everything related to The Hobbit. haha. She's the friend that wants to learn swing dancing as much as you do, and loves oldies music. She's the one that starts snapping her fingers and humming along with you in the store, and you know if you both start singing, people will start staring. hahaha. Camaraderie is a great thing. ;)

aaaaand she's the friend that doesn't mind standing still for a sunglasses shot. ;) 

Honestly, it makes Becs sound like she's never serious, which isn't true, but it's just that we are almost always happy and enjoying our time together, which means we are usually laughing and joking. haha. But there are also things about Becs that don't get talked about as much, and I'm not sure I can make it through this next section without crying. Because it's the not happy stuff that means a lot too. 

She's the friend you write late at night when you've listened to too much Adele and you don't understand what God is doing in life. And she's the one that writes back and says she's sorry even though there's nothing she did wrong. She's the one that doesn't mind when you cry on her shoulder or when you get really emotional over nothing. 

She's the one who listens to the ranting and knows it is because I'm hurting. She's the one who never pushes me to "get over" my grief, and she's the one who lets me be sad when I need to. She shares in my hurt and she is there with me in my grief. And she's the one that said she missed me when I checked out of life for 3 months after Avery died. 

She's the one who says "mmhmm" when I'm crying in the car at her house because I hurt too much, and she's the one that I know won't care if I call her when I'm sad and need some cheering up. :) She is quiet and she listens, and often that is all I need in a friendship. She doesn't claim to know what I'm going through, and she always tells me she will be praying for me, for us. 

I could learn a lot from being like her. She is so supportive and also protective. And she is kickin' honest. She won't let you be torn down by something that isn't necessary, and she won't let you swim around in pity either. But she understands that grief is hard, and she walks it with me. 

(Yes, I am in tears by now) 

She's the one I write as soon as I can when I hear bad news, so they will be praying. She knows she doesn't have answers, and that I don't either, so she just listens and says she loves me. She probably doesn't even know how much those simple things mean - but they mean so much when life hurts. 

She is beautiful on the inside and the outside, and I've never felt unloved or unimportant when I'm around her. She might be 5 years my junior, but it doesn't seem that way. 

We are genuinely best friends. More like really close cousins!! We share a lot of life, and it makes it so much better, because most of the joy in a moment is sharing it and enjoying it with someone else! It is the giving of a friendship that makes the receiving such a gift.

I have given, but I think I have received more.

Becs isn't perfect, and neither am I. I'm sure sometimes we annoy the heck out of each other, but decide not to care, because it's not important. Love and honesty and laughter go a lonnnng way in friendship. :)

Becs - I'm sure these lists could go on for a lot longer. To sum it up .... Thank you. Thank you for all you have given to this relationship, and put up with when I talked more about me than I asked about you. I love being best friends with you. I have been SO blessed. God gave me JOY when He gave me you as a best friend!

Happy 19th birthday to one of the sweetest and most encouraging people I know.

I pray for you often, and ask God's blessings and mercies to pour upon you like the Florida sunshine we live under. May you know more fully this year than ever that He loves you with a never-ending love, and that when you open yourself up to that kind of love; it changes everything. I pray JOY upon your heart, and I pray the Lord's guidance and hand to be evident and tangible in your dreams and life.

And I pray for many more years of friendship with you. :) 

I love you, bestie. Happy birthday. 

Love and hugs,

~ Jean Marie ~

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion."

 ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a ~