Friendship Gratitude- Julie

How we met:

To be perfectly blunt, neither of us remembers. We probably met at a football games or in the halls of Davis High School.

Was it love at first sight?

Apparently so because ever since our first meeting, we’ve been best friends ever since then!

Favorite Moments:

• Sadie Hawkins. In high school, Julie helped me ask out one of our guy friends. We did a scavenger hunt, so the last place was the big D sign at the high school. For some reason it took my date a long time to figure out all the clues, Julie and I sat in the car for an hour, laughing, and panicking each time a car pulled up in the parking lot.
• What does the crystal ball hold? Last year, when we were just going through so much, we decided to go see a fortune-teller. We wanted some hope and a little fun, of course we never expected anything to really come true, but you never know. It was one of the most fun times I’ve had with someone in a long time!
• Photo Shoot. Julie had a major crush in our younger days, so one day she had me take a last-minute photo shoot so that she can change her profile picture on FB. I don’t know exactly how this happened, but this photo shoot included tractors, tall grass, getting into the swamps and even a picture on a winding road. But all I have to say is the ploy worked!

• Mancation. I swear Julie and I together have the craziest men who ask us out and honestly if we wrote a book, we would be bazillionaires. I mean, the men who fall for us…yeah, honestly words cannot describe. So each time something happens, Julie and I declare a mancation, but that only lasts for a few days until the next date comes along. We always threaten we would become lesbians, but I don’t know if that’s possible.

3 Best Qualities:

• Laughter makes the world better. Julie has the most contagious laugh. She truly does and her laugh can make anyone’s day better.
• Ability to tell stories. This girl is a walking story book. She has a million chapters, each one filled with ridiculous stories from getting hit in the head with a stop sign, getting splattered with rain water when her windows are down, and so much more. Each of her chapters are a hoot, trust me. The life of Julie is never dull.
• Warm personality. She is one of the warmest people you will ever meet. She welcomes you with opens arms and the minute you meet her, you just fall in love with her. You feel as if you have known her for years, yet in reality, you might only have known her for a few minutes.

My Most Grateful Moment:

Oh Julie, I can’t even begin to tell you how much your friendship means to me. I was there for her through her roughest times with not only the death of her best friend in high school, her first kiss with the man who would eventually break her heart, and a few years later the man who really broke her heart, and of course her dad.

Through each I saw what a strong person she was through all trials that get thrown in her way. She has always been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, when honestly sometimes as her best friend standing next to her; I could see flickers of light for her, but not a clear pathway out. Through everything with her father, her heartache, her down days, she always goes to work with her best face on. By looking at her, you would never know she ever knew what pain, sadness, or hurt was. You saw the happiest person in the world and I say that it takes an incredible person to put on a brave face for the world no matter what is going on personally.

She is the best teacher, daughter, friend, neighbor, aunt, sister, and she is the dearest and truest friend to me.

Julie was there on my roughest nights through the past year. The nights that I did not even want to get out of bed after what seemed like trial after trial got thrown at me. Julie never let me get down. She has been there for me at all hours of the night from any location bringing so much positivity into my life. I remember when I was in one of my rough spots, she checked up on me daily from her travels in London. Distance means nothing to her.

Especially after the accident, there were nights when I spiraled and had thoughts that were not in-line with the person I am: Happy and optimistic. She told me that for all the times I was there for her, this is her time to be there for me. And she was, every day, she was there telling me another story to make me laugh and forget. Now I am the old Linda again and a big part was due to her. For that Julie, I am thankful to have a friend who has become a sister to me.