Fabulous Friend Fridays

As the title of this post suggests, I have absolutely fabulous friends.  These are women that I look to for laughter, support, love and concern, and they are truly some of the most honest and loyal people I have ever met.  I chose my friends carefully and for good reason.  In honor of these women I have decided I will dedicate a post each Friday to one of them. 

First up is my Big Sis.

When you join a sorority or fraternity, you are given a big sister or brother to act as a mentor and friend.  They are supposed to be older and wiser than you and they help you navigate the college years with a bit more mature direction.  Truthfully, very few of these relationships end up being exactly like this.  Many fall apart quickly after college, and many more never really seem to even get off the ground.  This was not the way of me and my Big.

My Big is a woman who I have admired and looked up to since the day I met her. She is classy, feminine and beautiful in everything she does. Simply gorgeous inside and out. She is also hands down one of the strongest women I have ever met.  She is never afraid to speak her mind and if you deserve it, she will put you in your place before you ever realize what is happening.  In the 11 years I have known her, I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen her cry.  When we met, I was in desperate need of a strong female role model in my life and My Big fit that bill perfectly.  I can honestly say I do not know if I would be alive today if it were not for her.  Since the day we became Big and Little, she has protected me and supported me through some of the hardest times of my life.  She is good at tough love when I need it, and I often need it. 

Her thoughts are always of others before herself. She is one of the few people who still sends handwritten cards in the mail.  When these sweet packages are delivered (which happens often) the penmanship on the envelope resembles the work of a hired calligrapher on a wedding invitation. But this is her normal handwriting. She also has been known to tuck little gifts into my suitcases which I do not find until I get home.  She adores jewelry, I would say this borders on an obsession, albeit a healthy one.  (Come on, what woman doesn't love sparkly jewels?)  She also loves mani/pedis; her nails always have polish on them. She is the kind of girl who keeps her shoes in their shoe boxes and she has alot of them. 

Being a guest at her house feels like you are staying at the best bed and breakfast ever. It always smells good and she loves burning yummy smelling candles. When I stayed with her for my birthday weekend, she hung up a happy birthday sign in the guest room. She's the kind of friend who puts a huge water in front of me when I pass out because she knows that when I wake up the first thing I will want is a huge glass of water. After a night on the town, she would never order a pizza or drive through a Taco Bell drive thru.  Intead, when we get home she'll cut up gourmet cheese and crackers and an apple and open a bottle of wine.  She is a bit OCD about keeping her house clean which is always more comfortable than going to a house where it's scary to sit for fear of what you might sit on.  She is detail oriented and it shows.  A card I recently sent to her said "Anyone who says there's no place like home has never stayed with you."  There could not be a truer statement.

My Big's deep love of being a wife and her marriage in general have become huge sources of inspiration for me.  This woman simply adores her husband and adores being his wife.  This fact oozes from every aspect of her being.  He is her #1 priority and she is his.  They take such good care of each other; they look out for one another and they treat each other like gold.  He is her protector, she is his rock.  I love being around the two of them and I love knowing that I will get to grow old with both of them and continue to watch their love grow.  These are going to be two of the best parents ever.

As I stand here on the cusp of my 30s, I am eternally grateful for my friendship with My Big.  I am so thankful that I was lucky enough to get a Big Sis who takes such good care of me.  Navigating my 20s was tough and she was right there beside me every step of the way cheering me on.  Looking forward to my 30s and what is to come, I have so much more confidence and deep rooted knowledge in myself now than I did 10 years ago.  A large part of that is due to My Big.

As we used to say in college...

Laura ♥'s her Big Sis!!
♥YLS