Day 24- My best friend

No book today, just life. Once again, I am playing ketchup on the weekend. Yesterday I did not read at all because my best friend, Becky, came up to visit me. She calculated that we have known each other approximately 21 years. I knew who she about three years before I was on her radar, as she was more popular than me back in the day. Nevertheless, once we met in ninth grade it was on. She has been my best friend since.

The worst part about being best friends with someone you have known since puberty is that odds are you don't live in the same place anymore, and we don't. She lives in Griffin where we grew up, and I reside in Athens. The distance isn't that bad, a little under 2 hours, but when you are married with kids - as we both are - you don't have the luxury of picking up for a road trip often.

About seven or eight years ago, Boo was in a really bad accident. Our third- Alice- woke me up once Sunday morning to ask me if I had heard about Becky. No. What? What's wrong? She was in ICU at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. It was the longest drive of my life. All I could think about on my way to the hospital was what if she dies? What would I do? Who would I call when I needed to cry? I recalled old times and jokes like Queen of Butcha, which no one would understand but us. I will never forget seeing her athletic body unconscious, immobile, swollen, and purple from being abused.

Fast forward to now. Boo is blind in one eye and has a limp. She takes a lot of medications to keep herself functioning, but thank God she is here. Spending time with her this weekend was a gift, like all of my moments with her. This is one person who knows why I am the way I am, she knows all of my flaws (mentally and physically) and she still loves me...even after all of these years.

The funny thing is Boo asked me twice while she was here if I was okay. She thought I was acting down. I was completely fine and therefore confused by her question. The second time she posed it though, it hit me what she was getting from me, contentment. As someone who has never known me to be content, it probably did feel like something was 'off' with me. But content was exactly what I was. This weekend I was surrounded my my core four & my best friend. Life doesn't get much better than that.

Today I want to thank God for Becky, for without her, I would be one lost 'little' girl. And I want to thank Becky for being who she is, my hero.

--God, thank you so much for the gift of friendship. I realize I am one lucky girl to have had Becky in my life for 20+ years. I know every day with her is a gift, and I am so, so thankful that you felt I was deserving of her friendship. Amen.