There are friends, and then there are FRIENDS.

This is a FRIEND. Her name is Sam. And she's really, really pretty, but also willing to make faces/poses on command to appease my every photographic whim. Here she is being a T-Rex to a miniature Supreme Court. Awesome.

That's only one of her friend qualities, though. Where to begin, where to begin ... I should begin 16 years ago, because there are some pretty classic photos of the two of us in our EFY days, especially with me wearing a plaid jumper, but... those are joys for another day. Let's talk about what she means to me today.

I meet a lot of people, and I've been lucky to make a lot of friends over the years. Some of them come and go--they are important and close for a time, then distance separates us and the friendship lives on in fond memories only. That's okay, it's just the way it goes. Then there are those who remain close, no matter the distance or circumstance, no matter even how regular or irregular the friend-contact is. Like when you haven't talked or seen each other for a long time, but when you do, it's like no time has passed--the friendship is just as strong.

Sam is that kind of friend, and I'm so grateful to get to call her mine. I usually only see her every couple of years, and eight months ago, I had made reservations to visit her on the opposite side of the country for this past Veteran's Day weekend. Perfect timing. :)   Because...she's true, she's loyal, I'd trust every feeling and confidence with her. She's unselfish. She's an example to me in innumerable ways, in her roles of mother and wife and daughter and sister and community member and in how incredibly creative she is. And she's dang funny.

So together, we laugh, we cry, we eat, we bake, we explore, we commiserate, we confide, we watch the final episode of LOST and cry again, and we take hundreds of pictures while sightseeing because sometimes that's more fun than sightseeing, we window-shop and don't buy things we don't need, we outlet-shop and find fantastic deals on things we DO need... (yay coat! :)

She gives her baby lemons to make me laugh. Then she only slightly makes fun of me for the many, semi-ugly laughs I have.

She share her best recipes AND introduces me to my new favorite cereal.

She lets me be a horrible guest and sleep in, she lets me sleep through New Moon even though she's more tired than me, she lets me ditch her on a Saturday night to rendezvous with someone else, she lets me talk about the same thing over and over, she lets me cry spontaneously, and she lets me be a part of her AMAZING family. She inspires me and shares her spirit with me. I love her dearly.

How blessed and lucky am I. :)  Thank you, Sam!

 (p.s. it's going to be the best Christmas EVER!!! :)

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