Feb 8

This right here, is my best friend on the entire planet. Actually, even title "best friend" doesn't really properly suit what this girl is to me. I guess the best way to put it is that she's my sister from another mister. I love telling our story because its one that many people don't have the honor of getting to tell. We met when we became next door neighbors when we were just two years old and have been inseparable ever since. The aspect of our friendship that amazes people is that even after we both moved, and kindergarden through senior year never went to the same school, our friendship has done nothing but grow. Its funny how completely ironic this picture is now that I'm looking at it. I can't tell you how many hours Lia and I spent sitting in her room when we were little playing Nintendo 64 surrounded by mounds of food. You can't see it in this picture but while we were home for Super Bowl weekend we decided to spend the night cooped in her room, playing Nintendo 64, surrounded by chips and cookies galore. Even when we were picking our our Mario Kart drivers, out of habit I gave her a little sucker punch for getting to Yoshi first and having to settle for Donkey Kong (even though "secretly" I would never not choose DK). Its moments like that night sitting in Lias room, perfectly content with a bag of cookies, a video game from the 90's, and each others company when there was a huge party going on downtown that remind me how special our friendship is. After 16 years of not going to the same school, we both ended up choosing Purdue University as our college of choice. We lived in the same dorm complex but decided not to room with each other, but with another pair of best friends from her high school which worked out wonderfully. A week into freshman year, we went through rush, during which we decided not to discuss with each other so that we wouldn't influence each other's choice of house. Sure enough we both ended up in the same one, Pi Beta Phi. The two of us have been through it all together and I can't even begin to imagine how I would get through college with out having her here with me. She's the one person aside from my family that I feel absolutely 100% comfortable with and unconditionally accepted and loved by. Its funny to think about how completely different we are as people but how close we have continued to remain. I can only hope that my kids find the same kind of friendship that I have found with Lia. I love her to the moon and back and can't wait for the day when we are 93 years old, sitting in rocking chairs on the porch reminiscing about our crazy lives. 

Lia also has a blog too! Check it out: http://liakennedy.tumblr.com/