I Will Not Share!

This is my best friend, Staci.  Staci and I met in 1995. She's told me that upon first meeting, she didn't think too highly of me and I still can't figure out why.  We were both young and full of dreams.  We were both in love (No - not with the same guy! But there is a funny story there!!!!)  I was a senior in high school and she was in college, but our interests were very much alike.  She was engaged and planning a wedding while I was planning a graduation.  Life was just starting for the both of us.

We grew to discover just how much alike we were and really enjoyed one another's company.  Quickly, we became as close as sisters and would spend lots of time laughing and talking and going dancing (she was never really as into that whole scene as I was, but she went! What a trooper!) We've walked beside one another through 2 weddings, the birth of 6 children, 8 household moves, 44 children's birthday parties, 23 wedding anniversaries, 3 women's conferences, 2 New Kids on the Block concerts, car accidents, trips to the ER, surgical procedures and overnight stays in the hospital, and too many overnights and hours of babysitting to count!

Staci's "my person". She's the one I call to share joyful news. She's the one I call on in a crisis. She's there to meet me at the ER when my daughter is seizing. She's there to pick up my kids from school when my car won't start. She's there to give me a hug. She's there to take me shopping and she's there to be brutally honest about what I'm wearing and should not be or to teach me the highlights of TLC's "What Not To Wear". She's there to tell me that its okay to go to Wal-Mart, alone, at 10:00 p.m. just to get away.  She's there to help me throw together a birthday party for my son when my husband is ill.  She's there to take my kids to AWANAs every week for 2 years. She's there to pick up my husband at 6:00 a.m. and take him to work so we don't have to get the kids out of bed. She's there for my kids, praying for them, correcting them, and loving them. She was there to make sure that they had a Christmas when we couldn't afford to do it ourselves. She's there to invite me to a women's conference and to encourage my dreams and goals! Staci was there to support my marriage when it all seemed to be crumbling.  Staci's there.  She's always there!  That's the true blessing of Staci.  (Oh, and she promised to bring me paraphernalia if I'm ever committed for treatment of my NKOTB obsession! That's the mark of a good friendship, right there.)

To my friend - I love you and I only hope that I've been able to give to you a fraction of what you've given to me over the last 15 years!  You are a truly amazing woman and I'm so happy that God brought us together, to be sisters and friends.  I cannot truly express how special you are to me and to my family.  Happy Birthday! We keep getting better with age, so by the time we're too old to care about how much weight we've gained or what we're wearing and laughing at one another over scrapbooks we can barely see - we'll be too much for this world to handle!

To the rest - I will not share my best friend, but I'll pray you find someone just as great!