A few days ago I went to see Bride Wars with my friend Megan. Although the movie is not terribly emotional, I cried my way through the entire thing. You see, last summer my best friend from childhood got married...and I wasn’t there.
Anna and I did EVERYTHING together growing up. She was the friend I called before planning my birthday party to make sure she didn’t have anywhere else to be that day and then invited her to come just a few minutes early so she could hide her sleeping bag and jammies because only ONE friend was allowed to spend the night after the party. She potty trained me and I taught her to tell time…I peed my pants while playing dress up in her backyard. Every summer our parents took us to Carlsbad State Beach to camp for a week. Anna and I would take our boogie boards out into the waves and pretend we were mermaids…we made drip castles and had sand fights… played Canasta and Yahtzee…went on bike rides down to the store where we scored some candy or maybe even an ice-cream. We were best friends. As we got older, we attended summer camps together, took AP classes (including the one that forced us to watch Band-of-Brothers for 10 weeks straight), led the Christian Club on our high school campus, traveled to Europe to sing with our choir, and even went to Prom. Of course, we still celebrated birthdays together and continued the tradition of exchanging an ornament each Christmas. Through the years our friendship changed, but there was still something so very special about Anna – the friend I had shared my entire life with. I left for college in the fall of 2003 and Anna stayed home to attend PLNU. It was really the first time that we had separate lives – we lived in different cities – had different friends – took different classes – and didn’t see each other on a weekly basis. Yet every time I came home – she was there – and the hugs were waiting. I spent the summers of my college years serving at a student missionary for the North American Mission Board and it was during my last summer on staff that Anna got engaged and married. Although I fought with every ounce of my being to be home for that special day in Anna’s life, it was impossible. I will never forget the morning of her wedding day – I was standing on a ferry on my way to Ellis Island with the wind blowing my hair and tears streaming down my face. I told her I loved her and wished with all my heart that I could be with her… she told me she somehow just believed that I would be there – that my flower bouquet was waiting for me and that my name was printed in her program – she never imagined that she would actually walk down that aisle without me there. She told me she loved me without saying it at all. My heart broke as I bought her a Christmas ornament of an M&M bride and groom that day in New York City. I had missed living a dream in my best friend’s life and nothing would ever change that.
As I sat in that theatre and watched Bride Wars, the tears flowed down my cheeks as I remembered the true sadness of missing Anna’s day and my hearts desire to have shared that dream with her. I made the decision a long time ago that I would set my wedding date after determining Anna’s schedule to make sure that we could share at least one wedding together. However, as I sat in that theatre, I realized Anna just being there wasn’t going to be enough for me. SO…even though I am not dating anybody, far from engaged, and years away from marriage, Anna Rae, will you please be my matron of honor? My dream is to share every bit of my wedding day with you – you’re my best friend for life – and I love you endlessly.
Anna and I did EVERYTHING together growing up. She was the friend I called before planning my birthday party to make sure she didn’t have anywhere else to be that day and then invited her to come just a few minutes early so she could hide her sleeping bag and jammies because only ONE friend was allowed to spend the night after the party. She potty trained me and I taught her to tell time…I peed my pants while playing dress up in her backyard. Every summer our parents took us to Carlsbad State Beach to camp for a week. Anna and I would take our boogie boards out into the waves and pretend we were mermaids…we made drip castles and had sand fights… played Canasta and Yahtzee…went on bike rides down to the store where we scored some candy or maybe even an ice-cream. We were best friends. As we got older, we attended summer camps together, took AP classes (including the one that forced us to watch Band-of-Brothers for 10 weeks straight), led the Christian Club on our high school campus, traveled to Europe to sing with our choir, and even went to Prom. Of course, we still celebrated birthdays together and continued the tradition of exchanging an ornament each Christmas. Through the years our friendship changed, but there was still something so very special about Anna – the friend I had shared my entire life with. I left for college in the fall of 2003 and Anna stayed home to attend PLNU. It was really the first time that we had separate lives – we lived in different cities – had different friends – took different classes – and didn’t see each other on a weekly basis. Yet every time I came home – she was there – and the hugs were waiting. I spent the summers of my college years serving at a student missionary for the North American Mission Board and it was during my last summer on staff that Anna got engaged and married. Although I fought with every ounce of my being to be home for that special day in Anna’s life, it was impossible. I will never forget the morning of her wedding day – I was standing on a ferry on my way to Ellis Island with the wind blowing my hair and tears streaming down my face. I told her I loved her and wished with all my heart that I could be with her… she told me she somehow just believed that I would be there – that my flower bouquet was waiting for me and that my name was printed in her program – she never imagined that she would actually walk down that aisle without me there. She told me she loved me without saying it at all. My heart broke as I bought her a Christmas ornament of an M&M bride and groom that day in New York City. I had missed living a dream in my best friend’s life and nothing would ever change that.
As I sat in that theatre and watched Bride Wars, the tears flowed down my cheeks as I remembered the true sadness of missing Anna’s day and my hearts desire to have shared that dream with her. I made the decision a long time ago that I would set my wedding date after determining Anna’s schedule to make sure that we could share at least one wedding together. However, as I sat in that theatre, I realized Anna just being there wasn’t going to be enough for me. SO…even though I am not dating anybody, far from engaged, and years away from marriage, Anna Rae, will you please be my matron of honor? My dream is to share every bit of my wedding day with you – you’re my best friend for life – and I love you endlessly.
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