Untitled.

Part I.

I received an email informing me that an anonymous person submitted a letter on my behalf asking for my next year’s fees to be waived for my blog. Apparently, over the last two years, my blog had given them the courage to seek counseling and treatment for their bipolar depression. They partly credit my posts to helping save them from suicidal thoughts and gave them the confidence to get help. How incredible. I can’t come up with any fancy words to describe this… so wow. Just- wow! This is why I do what I do and write what I write. I know it isn’t pretty and probably embarrasses my family, but I have deemed myself an advocate for mental health, and that is exactly what I want to be!

Part II.

Amanda. In all honesty, I should probably give this blog another day or two of careful thought, but I need to write this today. Lauren Hoffman introduced us in 2009 and I really didn’t think much of it! I later found out you were roommates with my brother’s then-girlfriend and still… didn’t think much of it. And then one random day you Facebook’ed me and asked if I wanted to hang out, and we instantly became friends. For some reason, we just clicked. We had so much in common and always had fun. I’m not sure how many times we went to listen to Black and Blue, no matter how far away they were! Stupidly enough, for the majority of these months I had a huge acne problem and refused to be in all your selfies!! I regret that now. But those are just pictures. What I have is far greater than any picture, and it’s our memories. Whether we were at pageants, Gabby Goat, or Daddy Rabbits, you lit up the place. You were so gorgeous, and most nights I was jealous of your perfect smile and hair.

Our lives took us in different directions in the coming years, but no matter how long it was in between visits or chats, it felt like we picked up exactly from where we left off. No time ever lost. I looked forward to your texts saying, “Soooooooooooooooooooooooo… I need a speech!” And speeches I gave you. Sometimes it was a request for a poem, and my favorite of those was your pregnancy announcement! No one but you would let me refer to giving birth as having calved! I know Harold appreciated it!

We bonded over medical issues, while on the outside appeared very different, on the inside we had all the same emotions. I know you are now pain free and no longer will have to keep asking What? How? or Why? I know how much you missed Sydney, and your reunion will be nothing short of spectacular.

One of your favorite quotes, to which I often rolled my eyes, “I’ll never be able to look back and say I was I was afraid of change.” You always chased your dreams, took risks, ignored the rules and was 100% authentic.

But for the record, you always looked better as a brunette! I hope Jesus dyes your hair!