Have you ever thought about the many cliches in life? While my cynical half tries to snarl every time someone throws one my way, I do believe in the truth behind "everything happens for a reason." Is it what I want to hear when I'm in the middle of the worst pain in my life? Absolutely not... However, looking back, I can't help but to see how everything in my life has brought me to this moment right here, right now. Lord knows it's been a long 24 years of lessons learned. :)
I first really started thinking about this two weekends ago. My best friend Lauren recently got engaged, and Matt and I went up to Little Rock to her engagement party. We have known each other for 6 years (since our Freshman year in college) and I couldn't ask for a better friend. I love her dearly.
Rewind to the day we met... My parents and I were moving all of my stuff into my dorm at Texas State. I'm sure there was a bit of tension in the air for the sheer fact that my parents did not want me to be in San Marcos. I had followed my high school boyfriend down there (by the way, I will die before I let my child follow their significant other to college-- just so you know). Anyway, we were getting my room all set up, when I heard people coming down the hall. The two girls were moving in the dorm room across from mine... Lauren was one of them. I would like to think I introduced myself to her, but knowing my sometimes "shy/unfriendly" nature, she probably made the first move. :) And the rest, as they say, is history. How about another cliche'?!
We clicked immediately. Shortly after we got all settled in and said our Goodbyes to our parents, we fell deeply into Rush Week. Devastatingly, we rushed different sororities, but our relationship was not affected. We each made new friends, but stayed close to one another. In November, my boyfriend and I ended our toxic relationship (shocker)-- Lauren was there to pick up my pieces. A few months later, I began having thyroid problems, lost a ton of weight, and the doctors thought I might have a tumor on my pituitary glands... Lauren comforted me. We spent New Year's together in Houston, went skiing on Spring Break vacation, threw an outstanding party at her parent's lakehouse, drank too much, made terrible decisions, but leaned on each other through it all.
When I decided in May not to return to Texas State in the Fall, I was heartbroken to be leaving her. I was lucky that she understood that I needed to make a new and fresh start. Being 200 miles apart was taxing on our friendship, but we never let it go. We were unable to be inseparable, but our relationship still grew. In the past 6 years, we've been through so much together. It's easy for me to see why she's my best friend. Still and always.
So where does the cliche' come in? Well it all boils down to my high school boyfriend. We started dating when I was 15, so naturally when it came to making a decision about college, I couldn't be without him. So, despite the lack of approval from my friends and family members, I followed him... I followed him to place where I didn't necessarily belong, a place far away from home, a place where my heart was broken and my faith was almost lost... A place where I met my best friend. That is the only thing in the world that I thank him for. If it hadn't been for my disastrous first relationship, I would have never met my life-changing best friend, Lauren. "Everything happens for a reason."
And for that one reason, I would do it ALL over again. Love you, Lo.
I first really started thinking about this two weekends ago. My best friend Lauren recently got engaged, and Matt and I went up to Little Rock to her engagement party. We have known each other for 6 years (since our Freshman year in college) and I couldn't ask for a better friend. I love her dearly.
Rewind to the day we met... My parents and I were moving all of my stuff into my dorm at Texas State. I'm sure there was a bit of tension in the air for the sheer fact that my parents did not want me to be in San Marcos. I had followed my high school boyfriend down there (by the way, I will die before I let my child follow their significant other to college-- just so you know). Anyway, we were getting my room all set up, when I heard people coming down the hall. The two girls were moving in the dorm room across from mine... Lauren was one of them. I would like to think I introduced myself to her, but knowing my sometimes "shy/unfriendly" nature, she probably made the first move. :) And the rest, as they say, is history. How about another cliche'?!
We clicked immediately. Shortly after we got all settled in and said our Goodbyes to our parents, we fell deeply into Rush Week. Devastatingly, we rushed different sororities, but our relationship was not affected. We each made new friends, but stayed close to one another. In November, my boyfriend and I ended our toxic relationship (shocker)-- Lauren was there to pick up my pieces. A few months later, I began having thyroid problems, lost a ton of weight, and the doctors thought I might have a tumor on my pituitary glands... Lauren comforted me. We spent New Year's together in Houston, went skiing on Spring Break vacation, threw an outstanding party at her parent's lakehouse, drank too much, made terrible decisions, but leaned on each other through it all.
When I decided in May not to return to Texas State in the Fall, I was heartbroken to be leaving her. I was lucky that she understood that I needed to make a new and fresh start. Being 200 miles apart was taxing on our friendship, but we never let it go. We were unable to be inseparable, but our relationship still grew. In the past 6 years, we've been through so much together. It's easy for me to see why she's my best friend. Still and always.
So where does the cliche' come in? Well it all boils down to my high school boyfriend. We started dating when I was 15, so naturally when it came to making a decision about college, I couldn't be without him. So, despite the lack of approval from my friends and family members, I followed him... I followed him to place where I didn't necessarily belong, a place far away from home, a place where my heart was broken and my faith was almost lost... A place where I met my best friend. That is the only thing in the world that I thank him for. If it hadn't been for my disastrous first relationship, I would have never met my life-changing best friend, Lauren. "Everything happens for a reason."
And for that one reason, I would do it ALL over again. Love you, Lo.
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