Day 26 - Candi and her dad

Well, first I have to admit that *I* did not take this picture - my husband, Matt did.  :)

This is my bestest friend in the world - Candi.  And this is a picture of she and her dad during her wedding rehearsal.  They were making use of the time wisely before he had to practice walking her down the aisle.

Can you see why I love her so?

She and I's story is one that is long and fraught with all kinds of drama.  For today, we will simply cover chapter 1: the first year.

I am from Greeneville, TN and went to East Tennessee State University for college.  My college roommate, Kristie and I went to high school together so we were already friends.  Just before classes started at ETSU they held an orientation weekend for freshman called 'Preview.'  I met a guy during that weekend named Aldon - and you'll hear more about him at a later time - he was the glue that sealed 10 of us as friends together. 

Candi's family is from Church Hill, TN, and though she was living just outside of Washington D.C. at the time, she was still considered a TN resident and attended ETSU, as well.   Her dad was Air Force and they lived in several places during her growing up years.  She started at ETSU at the same time I did - in 1995.

The second day of classes I was in the Atruim (which is a food court kind of place in the student center) and was planning on eating alone.  Then I saw her.  She was also alone.  I asked her if she would like to eat lunch with me.  She agreed and the rest, as they say, is history.  :)

We covered a lot in that first conversation - not only the big three college new person questions (Hi, what's your name?  Where are you from? What's your major?) - but a lot more.  And we found out that we had a lot in common.  We also found out that we lived in the same dorm ON THE SAME FLOOR!  :)  We walked back to our dorm after our lunch and showed each other our rooms, in fact.

It was an easy friendship to form.  Our personalities clicked.  But I really think the thing that sealed the deal was when we both showed up (without prior discussion) at our dorm's freshman Bible study later that week.  That was a 'Green Eggs and Ham' Bible study led by Campus Crusade for Christ staffer, Bec.  Bec is awesome and is one of my favorite people on the planet.  Period.  :)

Throughout our first year at ETSU, Candi and I's relationship only grew stronger.  Her actual roommate was a bit of a source of struggle for her, in fact - so she spent most nights in our room.  We had a blue egg-crate mattress that we rolled up and stored in my closet for her to sleep on. We rolled it out every night and rolled it up every morning.   It was a slumber party every night.  :)

I have no doubt that our lunch date that day was by Divine appointment.  I honestly and truly believe that she was sent into my life to be one of God's tools for shaping me into who He designed me to be. 

I had two 'close' friends in high school - that's it.  And with Candi's friendship, I was given something that I had never known.  REAL friendship.  The kind that allows you to be who you are - but makes you better.  The kind that draws out the true nature of self that has long been hidden.  Freedom.  Laughter.  Unconditional love.  She challenged me (and still does!)  She taught me how to have real conversations.  How to have adult conflict in a healthy way.  And she and I both learned how to be women who followed after God together.  We tasted salt together.  We cried together.  Prayed together.  And we worshiped together.

We worked out together - pushing ourselves physically.  We made it our goal to be 'sore' everyday.  :)  Crazies, we were.

We held each other accountable to our academic goals.  Though our majors were very different and our classes never crossed paths, we both studied and worked hard.  (She was an accounting major.)

And we seriously had a lot of FUN together.  I think she was the first person I ever truly laughed until my stomach hurt with. 

She is a wonderful woman.  Bright, kind, with a keen wit and an awesome laugh.  She is honest.  And she is real.  She can get dirty in a cave, ride bareback on a horse, and wear a formal gown and 4 inch heels and make it all seem effortless.  She taught me how to play the piano in our dorm's lobby.  She gave me the confidence and freedom to sing with her - just she and I - loudly and without fear.  She taught me the joy of shoes and I taught her how to wear make-up.  (Which is so funny to me now.....)  She embraces challenges well and she is thoughtful of others.

A few years ago I was at a conference where I was taught the DISC personality assessment.  I was given my own assessment which was right on the money.  I am an "IC", which apparently only 6% of the world population is.  It's an odd mix of personalities, actually - mixing introverted and extroverted tendencies, mixing rational with emotional decision making, and going back-and-forth with being warm and caring and cold and judgemental.  Most people don't get 'us' - because we seem a bit 'bi-polar', depending on the circumstance we are in. 

I found out after completing that weekend training that Candi's place of employment had had all of their employees DISC profiled.  Candi is also an "IC."

We get each other in a world that doesn't get us.   :)

I love this picture of her.  Most brides and their dad's are so somber at this moment.  Stress from the wedding planning and just contemplating all that it means seem to overwhelm and take the joy from so many.  But not these two.   Here they are exuberant.   Embracing the day to come with silliness and dancing.

And I think that is just as it should be.  :)