Friends, marriage, love, life

Just thinking lately about my friends. There are some friends in my life who when I first saw them knew instinctively that I needed to be friends with that person. These are the people I feel close to even when they are a continent away.

When I was at Ricks, I saw this guy dancing all over the floor and making up steps as he went. Instantly I knew I needed to be friends with him. I lost track of him that night and I wasn't able to meet him. This was not a romantic interest, purely platonic, but the urge to have a friend like that was very strong.The next evening it had snowed I was out walking around when who should I come across skating around on the snow was this same guy! It sort of took my breath away. I can't remember who I was with but I explained and took off after him. I had to meet him. But I lost him again. He and his friend had gone into the Snow building and disappeared. I had given up when all of a sudden they emerged and were right in front of me and my friend. I invited them over for cinnamon rolls I had made that day, gave them my address and left. I have no idea what I said by way of introduction, but I am sure it was a bit ridiculous--I am and was a bit ridiculous (particularly when meeting new people)! I was not surprised when they showed up at my door but was later surprised to learn that they had debated not coming! Jay became one of my life's best friends and I have been so grateful for his influence on my life. He and Alisa are choice souls.

The same sort of thing happened with my other best friend from college. I kept seeing her and wishing I could be her friend--she is so glamorous and beautiful in ways I am not-with her long curly dark hair and eyes the color of the ocean. She wore big hats and short skirts and danced like a milkweed over water. We shared a major, and yet for some reason it took us a long time to both overcome our timidness toward each other. One night- a late project night, we were both in the sewing labs and needed a break. So we started bowling thread cones with some crazy little stuffed animals someone had donated to the department. One broke open revealing that they were stuffed with old stockings, so we made skirts of them by stuffing them down our waistbands and danced in the corridor. I am now the proud godmother of her 6 children (don't die Ocean!). She and her Martin are so dear to my heart.

As a missionary I always stood in awe of Sister Smith, tall, gracious, lovely, kind wonderful with a testimony so radiant and shining. I loved her from the moment I saw her. Then I got to be her companion! What an honor, to stand next to her and testify, to study with her and make her pancakes. Rebecca of the radiant heart. She taught me how to be "real."

When I moved to Utah, my good friend Tara (there is a love story there too) picked me up in the back of her bronco-me and all my stuff and moved me to UT (I had $500 in the bank). Jamie was in the car. My soul delights in Jamie.

There are so many more. Amy, Funny that I can't remember how we met, but I just remember one of the days that cemented you into my soul. We were having lunch somewhere and you were talking about Ireland(? somewhere that you were walking in a meadow and met someone who became dear to you for a while). I just remember looking up at you and having this really strong emotional/spiritual tie to you. Later I introduced you to my John and found out that you were best friends in high school. How fitting.

I believe in pre-mortal existence. I know we were in each others company before we came here. I believe that that veil that seperates us from that previous time is very thin. The summer before I met JohnE I was on a film crew with a woman. We knew each other onsight and had memories of each other--we taught young women in the outdoors together-very distinct memories of laughing and having fun. However that film crew was the first and only time we had ever been within a 25 mile radius with in our live on earth, we exhausted the topic in the 6 weeks we were together.

When I met my JohnE our hearts knit together--it was almost instant. We knew within the first month that we would be together always. It is almost 10 years that we have been married and I am still enraptured with him. He is my best friend, my righteous example, my all in all.

His sweet friends are now my friends, my friends are now his friends. And what a blessing this is in our lives. My life is so rich with the blessings of good friends. The Dastrups, the Haskells, the Tufts, the list goes on and on. Though I have only mentioned a few people, it in no way stops here. Being married to my best friend is interesting and lovely. We love our friends and love to be with them whenever we can. I still meet people I feel the need to know, quite a bit recently. There seems to be a window in heaven opening and suddenly I am surrounded by amazing people.

Just before Christmas I was walking out of the grocery store when I heard this woman telling her little boy that she just needed to figure out what to do. Without thinking I asked if I could help and when she said yes that she had locked her keys and cell phone in the car it was such an easy fix. I sat and chatted with her while we waited for the tow truck to come open her car, and made light in a bad situation. We've gotten together a couple times since then.

There are others too, people who inspire me to be a better business woman (Nicole, Catherine, Deanna) and others who have inspired me to get in a bit more learning and education (Swantje, Brian, Tia--my sweet sister)

I have failed to mention much of family here. My sisters, though I can only remember vaguely meeting my little sister, are two of my favorite people in my life! The stuff we have been through together! We should write a book!!! I remember when the neighborhood boys were trying to knock me off my bike and step on my glasses. Lisa beat the stuffing out of them for me and they were a few years older than her!!!

JohnE's family too. I miss seeing them.