Jaynie

I talked to my aunt a little bit ago. She always makes me feel better even when Im not feeling badly.

I love this woman beyond words. She is my "person" who I go to with everything. I truly believe she is my best friend. However she is more than that as well...she is my mentor, my spiritual mother, my emotional touchstone and so much more. She is the one person who has known me literally my whole life and "gets" me...garbage and all. She knows all the icky parts of my personality and she knows my strengths and she still loves me. She knows my history and the things I struggle with.

I simply adore her.

What is so interesting to me is that we have had such a long term relationship and it has gone through many stages.

It started in 5th grade when my mother was sick and I went to live with them for a bit. It was like I got a glimpse of what I wished my family could be but was not. I was hooked immediately. Jayne was definately in love with Jesus and that attracted me so much but she was also in love with having fun and never too pretentious to try anything. She allowed her family to have freedom and to do messy activities. She engaged emotionally with her family (or tried too...) She took her family on field trips to downtown Chicago just for the hell of it.

As highschool arrived she was my person to talk to about my own mother and my own family and about my heart desired and about God. During the dark months of depression she was my tether to keep me grounded. I loved being at her house. My cousin who was 2 years younger than me didnt get it because she didnt now have a high need for relationships or intimacy like I did. Jayne and I clicked in this area and I think somehow our two desires for this met and filled stuff in both our lives.

I could site a thousand instances hands down about how she has shown me Jesus. How over the years we spent countless hours sitting foot to foot on sofas talking and discussing issues in our lives. How she has visited me in every home I ever lived in. How we laugh together and find humor in the same things.

She has had more influence in my life than anyone.

She gets me....more so than anyone else.

She a most beautiful gift from Christ to me.

I am so grateful for our friendship and the love that exists between us.

And I love knowing it will always be there.