I'm not even sure how to start this post off. Lee is such a huge part of my life and my story, but we don't communicate very often. It's weird to say that your best friend lives 14 hours away and you haven't spoken on the phone in six months, but it's so very, very true. Lee is my best friend. And her love language is sending me inappropriate comics via pinterest throughout the week to make me laugh. She is an introvert and her attention span doesn't work very well with long phone calls. But if you've never had a friend that you were so secure in their affection and care for you that you could go months without hearing from them but still know in the core of your being that your friend is on the other side of the country missing you and thinking about you, you just don't know what your're missing. I have so much confidence in our friendship and Lee's character that I know she's my best friend, even if I only get to see her once a year, even if I don't speak with her every week. Even if text messages are sparse at times.
Lee's beauty is a wild and hilarious type, full of jokes and laughs and silly songs and great impersonations. She is a true comedienne! She works as an aid for an amazing young man who is physically disabled. She has worked with him for several years now, moving up every school year to a new grade level. Every year she talks about they had the best school year and the best teacher, and by the next year she's saying it all over again. She is brilliant with kids. Some people say it's because she's just a big kid herself, but that's selling her gifts short. She is fantastic with kids because she is gifted and passionate. Period. She has more talent for working with children in her right elbow than most trained teachers I've met. It's just her. She loves kids and they love her. She has the ability to turn ordinary afternoons into magical adventures. Think Mary Poppins, but with tattoos and more pool time. And surprisingly only a hair less British (seriously, Lee can spank anyone when it comes to accents). She's also a very talented artist, drawing and designing anything from room decor to tattoos, not to mention her amazing voice. She is constantly singing, and, unlike in my car, it actually sounds good. I love singing along with her because she totally drowns me out (I'm real bad at singing, y'all).
Lee not only has a fantastic soul, she is so pretty. Giant eyes with lashes a mile long. I honestly can't watch her when she's putting on her mascara because I get so angry and jealous. Her smile is contagious and she's short, so she can rock the petite, pint-sized beauty. I love that she experiments with her hair. Short, long, red, blonde, and sometimes even purple, she's never afraid to have fun. She inspires people to be free to be themselves and not take things too seriously.
I will forever be grateful to her and her family for taking me in when I was alone out in Texas. They didn't become like family, they became family. I was always welcome. I'm still always welcome. But that's how Lee is. Once you're in, you're in. You've always got a place to land when you need it. I don't need to hear her say she loves me and misses me; I know she does. The hardest part of living in Atlanta is the part where Lee still lives in Texas. A part of me will be missing as long as we're so far apart, but we sure make up for it when we get to see each other. I'm planning a vacation in Texas this summer and we've already got the itinerary booked solid. I'm thinking I'll need a vacation from my vacation when I get back, but it will be soooooo worth it!
So here's to Lee: the most steadfast friend I've ever known, the girl who makes magic wherever she goes, the woman who inspires freedom. I love you, friend and I can't wait for July!
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