This weekend, my best friend is moving away. When you’re 13, the idea of your best friend moving seems unbearable. Well, you know what, at 27 it still feels pretty darn unbearable.
I am happy for my friend, her husband and her daughter. I think the move is going to end up being a great thing for their family, and I’m proud of them for taking this BIG step. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with them leaving me! ;)
Since I moved to Charlotte, almost 3 years ago, Crystal, Jeff and Contessa have been my family. I can say with 100% certainty that I don’t think I’d still be living in North Carolina if it wasn’t for them. They are the people I go to when I need help, when I want to have fun, when I’m sad, when I want to share good news. They’re pretty much just my people for everything.
Now, I’m not trying to be dramatic. I know with today’s modern world, it’s easier to stay in touch than ever. We have phone calls, texts, Facetime and Skype, emails, Facebook, Twitter, etc! It’s not like they will suddenly be out of my life. But, it’s just not the same. It won’t be the same to hear Tess tell me she loves me if it doesn’t come along with one of her sweet hugs and kisses. It won’t be the same to get advice from Crystal without sitting on her couch together hashing out my life. And I assume Jeff telling me to “JUST STOP!” when I’m freaking out won’t have quite the same feel over via text as it does in person.
But, we’ll fight through. Pittsburgh isn’t exactly close, but it isn’t terribly far away either. It’s close enough that plane tickets are relatively cheap and it’s a drive you could make in a day. So I’m sure they will come visit here and I can go visit there. Nonetheless, not seeing them constantly is going to have a big impact on my life. For as independent as I am, I am sure struggling with how I see my life after they move away. But – they’re tough. And I’m tough. And everything will be just fine.
I try to be good at telling people what they mean to me, but just in case you guys don’t know…
Crystal – You are without a doubt one of the very BEST people I know. You have such an amazing heart! To me, you are the true epitome of what a Christian should be. You absolutely 100% embody my motto of “don’t judge, just love!” When people look at you, they see a stunningly beautiful woman. But what they don’t know is that inside you are EVEN MORE beautiful. I love your spirit, the way you take care of people, how empathetic you are, the fact that you are always willing to go above and beyond to help anyone and the way you speak your mind. I am SO thankful for the fun we have, the laughs we share, the advice you never run out of and the love you so generously give. You are going to do great in Pittsburgh! There is NO way you won't make great friends and charm everyone there just like you do everywhere you go! Thank you for being the person that I never knew was missing in my life! You are the best friend/other mother/sister/therapist/life partner I could ever ask for! I love you!
Contessa – I could not love you more if you were my own child! You are the perfect combination of sweet, silly, sassy and strong! Not to mention you are the SMARTEST kid I know! I love everything about you! Your style, your smile, your drawings, your stories and your decision making skills, haha! I will miss you every single day. I hope you make great friends in Pittsburgh, but don’t forget to leave a little room in your life for your BFF! I will miss chasing you around the house, our movie dates, playing dolls (even if I did have to always be the grandma!), park time swinging sessions, sidewalk chalk masterpieces, fun trips, mornings filled with messy hairdos and frozen pancakes, Ariel, Belle and Cinderella, and our awesome dance parties! Thank you for loving me the way that you do. You are constantly my favorite part of the day. I love you!
Jeff – Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for sharing your girls with me. Thank you for making space in your crazy life for me. Thank you for trusting me (even if that did mean I spent a lot of time housesitting in the boonies, haha!). Thanks for being the sane voice in my head when I needed it. Thanks for embracing the random girl that your wife invited to join your lives. Thank you for answering my questions, being a source of wisdom and inspiration for me, and for letting me watch football with you (since I know you don’t actually like to watch it with anyone). I appreciate your influence in my life SO much! Don’t think I won’t miss you too!
Saying goodbye sucks. So, I’m going to take my own advice and truly NOT say goodbye to you three. No matter how far away you are, you’ll still have a daily presence in my life. Safe travels. See you SOON! I love you guys!
PS – Gizmo, I will miss you too! (No, Crystal, not enough that you should leave him here with me or anything!) You are my favorite boyfriend ever. ;)
Xoxo!
Miss Jess
