One of my favorite people is getting married. Joslyn and I have been friends since early high school. Her first sentence to me was, "Hey, you seem nice and I want you to know the guy you're here with is actually dating someone else". She was loyal before she even knew my name.
The best thing about friendship with Joslyn is how safe I feel; she's so consistent. She loves me and my family so effortlessly; even when we're in completely different stages of life. She's the friend who comes over to hold your colicky newborn, after working a 12 hour nursing shift, so you can sleep. The friend who pays for your flight to Mexico because she simply wants your company. She's the friend you slept in a single bed with when you had sleepovers in high school, because you spent all night talking about boys and barely slept anyway. The friend who thinks you're always the best and smartest and prettiest...even when you're not. Joslyn's the friend who's dad sends texts saying sweet things like, "You are like sisters...and you wouldn't be the same if you hadn't had each other in life. You've made each other better." She's the friend who sends you a picture of herself wearing only a wrestling singlet when you're feeling weird about shopping for wedding night attire. The friend that thinks anyone who's ever hurt you is the worst ever...even if she's never met them. Joslyn is the friend I told Jeremy to marry if something ever happened to me because he and Beck would be loved closest to the way I love them. The friend that bawls her eyes out at the mention of you moving away...even though Jeremy and I have literally been talking about moving away for 7 years...I mean, put the girl out of her misery already! Are we moving or are we not?! We're the worst; like the little boy that cried wolf, but by wolf I mean Wyoming and by cried I mean we're all tired of crying about the possibility of it, but I digress.
I've seen Joslyn hurt; really hurt. I think we both thought she would have a husband and three babies by 30. She's loved and lost and dreamed and had dreams crushed; I think because she trusts and gives and dreams so passionately. I am so happy she found Kyle and not because she needs to be married (because she can handle this world perfectly fine on her own, thank you) but because she has so much love to give. She exudes generosity and he will be loved all the days of his life. Speaking of Kyle, you're welcome! I remember sitting with his twin sister, Molly at Bracco one summer afternoon and I said, "I have this friend..she needs to find someone great" and Molly said, "I have this brother...he needs to find someone great". BADABING-BADABOOM! Match. I was there the first time they met. I saw his eyes light up when he shook her hand. I'm pretty sure I read his first thought and it was something like, "Whoa, she's really hot" and Joslyn's reaction to him was her go-to move (she flipped her beautiful strawberry blonde locks and cocked her head to the side and gave him her "I'm confident and am maybe interested but you're going to have to make the first move" look).
Joslyn told me she didn't realize the walls she'd built up to protect herself until Kyle got down on one knee. She said, "I didn't know I had this much love to give". Well, friend, I did. You're the best and not just to me. You have thirty people coming to your bachelorette party today. You have 9 bridesmaids and probably 20 more people that would have loved to stand up for you. Everyone wants to be your maid of honor. Everyone thinks you love them the most. You're always showing me videos of your friends' babies. You're always excited and joyful for others...even when you want the things they have. You always keep chips and salsa and my favorite wine in your fridge, just in case I come over.
One of my favorite things about our relationship is how funny it is. We are really, really funny together. We're like dudes. Your favorite word is douche. We don't gossip or make each other insecure or doubt our relationship. We don't pretend to be anything we're not. I don't think we've ever had a big fight because we say truth in the moment. We call each other's BS. We just are. We have conversations like this:
Tara: "You're heading to Omaha tomorrow, right? Don't drive so fast you crash. We need to make it to your wedding."
Joslyn: "I have 6 appointments starting at 10am so I'm going to drive fast. You can have my honeymoon suite if I die."
Tara: "I'm going to be so pissed at you if you die. Seriously, don't drive over 90."
(laughter)
Joslyn: "I can't promise anything."
I like to picture all of us as trees of life with good and bad fruit hanging from our branches and when we choose to grow the good, when we choose to live into our strengths, the good fruit almost touches the ground because it makes our branches so heavy. I think humanity spends too much time focusing on our ugly, withered, moldy fruit but most often the ripe, delicious, colorful fruit is so big and beautiful it hides the other stuff. It's hard to see the bad fruit on your tree, Joslyn, because the good is so dominant. Jesus loves you so much and his love is alive and well in and through you. I like to pray words of life over people and these are my 7 for you:
Kind
Genuine
Generous
Loyal
Hard Working
Loving
Humble
Kyle knows what he has found in you. He has been counting down the days to be your husband. He'll wash the dishes for the rest of his life to be able to call you his and we know how much he hates washing the dishes. I can't wait to love your babies the way you have loved mine.
Love,
The Peanut Butter to your Jelly
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