I’ve only been married 2.5 months, but I can already say that marriage has strongly enhanced my need and appreciation for Good Girl Friends. Dayne makes me incredibly happy most of the time, but he’s still a GUY. He still pees standing up and plays Halo and doesn’t notice dirty dishes or his shoes in the middle of the floor and isn’t concerned about making the bed perfectly and doesn’t quite understand why I get so emotional about things that I “can’t do anything about”. He’s still a very private person, while I will spill my guts to anyone who’s willing to sit, listen, and give me feedback. I love him, but he’s not a girl.
I love my girl friends. Seriously. I have had a joyful, comforted feeling in my heart this week because of them. I feel differently after being around one of my good girl friends than I ever feel from being around Dayne — and this is not a bad thing, girls are just different. There are countless things that my relationship with Dayne gives me that I will never, ever get from a girl friend. But there is something special and unique about girl time!
My friend Amy is an incredibly good sounding board, has a ton of energy, is open and honest about everything, and asks the tough questions all the time. I appreciate her so much because she doesn’t gloss over the nitty gritty of life; she’s real. She has a great heart – she teaches young children with developmental disabilities – and she loves the Lord. She’s also really funny – a blast to be around – and Dayne loves her. I got to see her last week, and I’ll get to see her tomorrow. I can’t wait!
^^Molly, me, & Megan at my wedding. College roommates for 2 years = 3C love!
My friend Molly had me over on Tuesday night for dinner. I don’t get to see her as regularly, but she is a really good friend – the kind that’s seen me through some of my worst phases (i.e. junior year of college) and somehow still loves me and strongly supports my marriage! She has such a servant heart and she is a great listener, always has great book recommendations, and she married a guy who is just as much fun as she is. She’s also a great cook, so dinner on Tuesday was a treat 🙂 It’s always humbling to look back on our college years and see how much both of us have grown.
Of course, Erica is my cousin, but she feels more like a sister than a cousin. I didn’t have any sisters growing up, but Erica and I are the same age and have grown up in the same extended family and are alike in so many ways. We just get each other, and we have a shared sense of humor that nobody else really understands. Her Maid of Honor speech was incredible, and just having her as my Maid of Honor was an experience I will never forget — our bond is very deep and we love and respect each other so much! She’s been in Cameroon since the end of my honeymoon, which has been hard, but we’ve still kept in touch through facebook, email, and Skype, and I’m really looking forward to her trip home for Christmas.
Tonight I’m going to see Hanson with Erin, who was my roommate for over a year after college, and who is an incredibly kind person who I have a lot in common with, especially since we got engaged around the same time and went through some of the highs and lows of that together! I met Erin through church and she just happened to be a Hanson fan, but there are also countless friends I’ve made through Hanson over the past 14 years, and I love that Hanson concerts keep bringing us together!
I don’t have time to talk about each of them in this post, but Jess, Stacie, & Courtney (my long-distance Hanson girls!), Shelli, Ashlee, Courtney, Gretchen, Megan, Christie, Leah, Janelle, Katie, and Kay are some of the other incredibly meaningful women in my life. I love you girls!
I’m blessed to have so many good girl friends who keep me on track in Christ, who encourage me, who keep me honest and give me sound advice, and who are just lots of fun to be around – especially when we can have a glass of wine and laugh about life. Or rock out to Hanson.
life of faith 