Goodbye, Friend

This is my cousin Jessica.I share many inside jokes with this young lady - one of which involves the items you see above... which explains why we are holding TV dinners (which, by the way, are nothing like they are pictured) and a $5 movie from Wal-Mart.

While I still haven't figured out why, she and her best friend Jeanette (who I also consider as part of my family) looked at me like I was their idol while growing up. While I was in high school and before my mission, I was a little unnerved at times by the way they wanted to be a part of my life, it seemed, in every way - including copying my handwriting and growing out their hair like mine. But, most of the time, it pushed me to want to be better. If I was being watched closely by someone who was around me as often as they were, I realized the way I presented myself needed to be better - in action, word and deed... which I'm not sure I accomplished.

Since returning from my mission, and in recent years, somehow the line between being just a cousin and a friend was crossed, and we've grown close. She is someone I always laugh with, talk to about anything, and because she lived with my parents while her husband was away with the Air Force, saw a lot.

Her husband is now stationed in Georgia, and they left last month to begin the next chapter of their lives. I'm so excited for her, and for the adventures that lay ahead!

You rock, Jessica. Thanks for staying positive and being someone I can look up to. You are missed, and I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!