A Love Letter

"I don't have a lot of friends. They are acquaintances mostly. People that pass through my life, making a minimum of difference to me. But, I'm lucky. Luckier than most really. You see I have a few people in my life who mean the world to me. People who make everything seem so much better. A few people who I wouldn't be who I am today without. These people have changed me and for the better. I'd die for them in an instant, but more importantly, I live for them." -Jacqueline McBride

Sometimes I'm lonely and homesick and it is partially my fault and partially all of yours. You all spoiled me.

You girls came into my life and we just fit. If you look at us as a whole it is pretty comical and hard to fathom how we became the little family we are.  But that's just it, we are more than friends, we are a family.  You don't choose your family, your family is chosen for you and you just have to find your place within it.  My heart and soul are split among seven women who are now taking it all across this country in search of their dreams.

The strong, fiercely free spirited part of my heart lives in South Dakota where she's learning that among the chaos you find yourself exactly where you need to be. Everyday I strive to be a little more like her, a little more true to myself, a little more brave. The exuberant, ever loyal part of my heart has started her life in Colorado where she is finally reaping the rewards she has worked so long and hard to acheive.  She reminds me that there is nothing greater than freely giving and receiving love. Nashville has the largest share of my heart, now holding three of the most beautiful pieces. One piece acts as the humored voice of reason who is returning to the amazingly independent women she has always been. No matter how much I see her and how much time I spend with her, it's never enough. The second piece is pure and kind and can make anyone feel like they are the most important thing in the world.  She is starting a brand new adventure and I can only hope she is as happy as she makes me just by being who she is. The third is the piece with the most wear and tear as she has been the one who has gone through every up and every down with me.  She is confident and beautiful and asks for what she wants, I could never have become who I am without her and I never want to live a single day without her as my friend.  The final two pieces are waiting where we all began, in Chattanooga. The very first piece of my heart is here. She was given to me by fate and I am grateful everyday that we were thrown together. She is thoughtful, driven and is ever striving to find her passion. The last piece is unapologetic and independent, she is secretly delicate and has a bigger heart than most understand.  She is my confidant and the one who I can always count on, she is amazing but never gives herself enough credit.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of every single one of you.  We have all started new lives and begun to go our separate ways, but I don't worry about drifting apart.  Our bond is something that can't be broken by time and distance we are connected by unconditional love. I can only hope that one day when I have a daughter she is as truly blessed as I am. 

For those of you reading this: I hope you have friends like these and even more so, I hope you never take them for granted.