the longest goodbye: part three

It seems fitting that the last friend on my list of goodbyes for the week should be this one: Lindsey. My life here seems to begin and end with her.

It wasn't until I met Lindsey my sophomore year of high school, that I really felt this town start to become a home to me. She quickly became my best friend. Her family became my family. And life was never the same again.

To understand the kind of person Lindsey is, I will tell you that the first time she ever spoke to me (in English class; halfway through the school year), she turned around in her desk and asked me if I would like to go to the ghetto for the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade.

I thought she was crazy.

And while it's very apparent that Lindsey is, in fact, crazy. I love her just the same. She makes me braver. She makes me more fun. She makes me do dozens of crazy things and I love her for it.

We skipped every other day of high school our junior and senior years. We learned more out there in the real world than cooped up in same stuff classroom. Our adventures ranged from trips to the state park to trips to the beach. And more often than not, involved a lot of shopping and eating out.

It was wonderful.

Lindsey's family became my family. I love her mother, her grandparents, her siblings, and every other person that is in her life. Lindsey's like a magnet - she attracts people to her easily with her smile and wit. There are so many people that fill her life and I feel privileged that I am one of them.

Tonight, I was able to say goodbye to a small handful of them. Each of which garnered promises that I would return for Christmas Eve. Which I always spend with them - one of the reasons it's one of my favorite holidays.

For my little going away dinner, Linds even made her mother's famous lasagna. Which I only ever eat on Christmas Eve at their house, before church. She also made me cupcakes (she is, after all, the queen of cupcakes) with bright yellow frosting since she knows it's become my favorite color.

Lindsey is also currently expecting a baby. Due sometime in the middle of January. I am thrilled to pieces. I am so excited to become an auntie to this sweet little baby.

Especially if she turns out to be a girl.

The baby also provides me the perfect excuse to come back home. And often.