Did you know that you can learn life lessons without taking a class? I have learned many life lessons throughout the years but some of the most important were learned in high school. I had an amazing friend in high school who became one of my best friends I have had in life. Unfortunately, we both moved and did not stay in close contact as much through the years, but I will always remember what Mandy taught me about life.
While in high school, many kids think they need to be "popular" or "cool". I was neither. I was not well known in school and I did not get invited to many "events" outside of my church youth group. Mandy and I hung out at school and I was able to be myself around her. She showed me that you don't have to be perfect to be pretty. We would drive to DQ for our half hour lunch and put our lipgloss on as we drove back to class. We knew we weren't as beautiful as some of the other girls in school, but when we were together, we didn't care. We knew we were pretty and that our smiles would show the real beauty we had - the beauty inside.
We would talk about God and boys and whatever else you talk about when you are 16. I could talk to Mandy about anything. She would tell me when I was chasing the wrong guy or looking for other people's approval when I should be worried about doing what was right. Mandy and I talked for hours about nothing and everything. I didn't worry about saying the "right" thing around Mandy, because we didn't have to be perfect - just ourselves. It was so refreshing to not have to act one way around her and turn around to be another person when I was alone - that is a true friend...to be able to accept each other as you are and love each other anyway.
One thing I remember the most about hanging out with Mandy was her laugh. We laughed together all the time. I think we talked and laughed through most of our choir class we took our senior year! We giggled and were silly and many other kids thought we were a little strange I think, but the fun part about it was that we didn't care what the other kids thought - we just had a lot of fun! I remember falling into fits of laughter until tears were streaming down our faces and our stomachs hurt...over absolutely nothing!
We actually signed up for a bike trip for our church youth group. The bike trip took us from Flint, Mi all the way to Mackinaw Island, which was a very long trip! Why did we sign up to ride a ten speed bike 80 miles a day for 5 days through the baking sun and pouring rain? Is it because we loved the wind on our faces? Was it the fashionable bike helmets we had to wear? Could it be for the amazing cardio exercise of riding a bike for miles on end? Nope...it was boys. We spent a week in pup tents and rain and sore muscles just because most of the other teens who had signed up for this trip was BOYS! It is funny what you will do with a friend when you are only sixteen. We would wake up and fix our hair in a small outdoor "restroom" before walking over to our bikes and buckling our helmets on! Yes, we were a little crazy.
I hope that you will be as lucky as I was to have a friend in your life like Mandy. A friend you can talk to, cry with, laugh with and just be yourself with. I have had many other friends throughout my life, but none like Mandy. She was the silly fun friend that I could let loose and just enjoy life with. Thank you Mandy for being a true friend. You showed me how to laugh and enjoy the moment. You taught me that it is okay to be myself and not worry about what others think about me. You showed me that I can have a lot of fun while living for God...and you showed me that sore muscles can be worth it sometimes! Love you girl...
You are a blessed woman!
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