Continuing the Trend

I remember sitting at his baptism and thinking 'man, i blew it'. The opportunity to be a friend, help teach, be supportive, bear testimony, or anything... for someone who is joining the church, is priceless when you are a teenager. President Hinckley's counsel came to mind and I promised myself and the Lord i could be there as a friend.

As opportunity had it, immediately in the next few days following his baptism, he experienced some trials that I had much experience in over coming. It seemed as if out of all the people who he knew, i was the best equipped to help him through time where he was at a considerable crossroad.

Friendship grew to a sincere and deep closeness. I watched him overcome all sorts of articles. I've rarely had such a loyal friend. There was a time where i was pretty sure the entire world was against me. I was sitting on a dock by myself in a bit of a drizzle, feeling sorry for myself. I had stopped there because i was tired of walking home. I called him to come get me. He pulled up and yelled out his window that I was an idiot. I laughed. He came and stood behind me for a minute and we both kind of just got lost in thought staring at the scenery. Flippantly, i told him to jump in. He laughed and called me retarded. I told him i'd do it if he'd do it. I think he called me gay this time and walked off. I laughed to myself again and gathered my thoughts for another minute. I heard running behind me and then he jumped over my head in the water. It was the end of April. I jumped in too. We drove to my house and jumped in the hot tub.

What's the significance? Well, to pretty much everyone, it doesn't mean a thing. But to me... it kind of meant the world. I was always a hard person to show loyalty too... i have a great family that i rely on for much of everything i need, besides my own talents and testimony. I've had a super easy life. So, i never gave much opportunity for friends to show their friendship. I don't know what it was about that moment, but i felt like that one action symbolized his willingness to stick with me no matter what. Ya know, the whole take a bullet for you buddy sort of a thing.

i watched him do all that church stuff with no support besides a few friends. He found a real testimony himself and chose to live it. The time came and he served a mission. And I know he served it with an intense dedication.

This is someone who will always bring me happiness. I know if i'm ever struggling he's there for whatever support he can give. He shares my triumphs and accepts my strengths and weaknesses in his own life. He's example of what spiritual strength is in the face of great odds.

This is a best friend for life.

I have favorites in my life. People who just take the cake, who are the top of the category. She has been someone who i've been able to relate to on almost every level. I've never felt more funny, more alive. She had a way of turning every moment into a memory. If I ever felt uninteresting, i simply needed to spend some time with her and she made me feel interesting.

I swear I could listen to her talk, tell stories, sing, impersonate, explain, complain, or any other form of communication for unhealthy periods of times. She's a captivating individual. It seems everything she does is about enriching her life, getting the most out of every experience. Even when the bad happens, she spins it into a building character and creating a new outlook or perspective.

She told me the hard truths, but was a huge fan too. As i struggled to understand things in my life, she'd stop me when i wasn't being fully honest with myself. She was ever interested to hear how I was doing, gaining even from my experience.

I loved watching her love; whether it was people, her passions, or instances of adventure, she had a great big heart. She never lacked in love and showing it, she was always able to express it to me (and others i know) in a way that i perfectly understood that she cared.

She's made many hard decision, following the Spirit, trudging through adversity. I admire that courage, that strength of will. I like to take things from her life, use them in my own. I like to see what she's doing and vicariously live through some of her moments. Most of all, i'm grateful for the time she spent in my life at exactly the point i need her specifically. I just needed a friend, someone to connect to, even when for some days straight we just caught up on movies and tv shows. I'm grateful for the smiles and laughs, as she's always had the ability to magically create the glee.

The Lord chose her and i'll be ever grateful she responded. I'm so proud of her decisions and the person she is.