So, I Have This Soulmate Named Sharon....

       I guffawed in a horrifyingly loud manner.

      She cowered for a minute, glancing around to see who was looking at us in the 'restaurant'. Everyone was staring (by everyone, I mean four or five old people in the middle of the day). She was horrified, embarrassed, and (maybe?) impressed by my ridiculous laughter. Whatever she said, we're lucky I didn't have food in my mouth at the time because I would have spit it out. She would have spit it out too.  But we locked eyes, and somewhere between her bewilderment over the loudness and my over-the-top laughter, we became best friends instantly.

   Oh, hey. My name is Amanda, and my laughter will embarrass the living hell out of you. I lose all awareness of how loud and obnoxious my laughter is. Why? Because I don't care. If I find something funny (ask ANYONE who has made me laugh ONE TIME- it's obnoxious, your true slapstick style: I throw my head back, mouth wide open, my clumsy hands trying to cover my mouth, but NEVER the noise. And I have the LOUDEST laugh as one could possibly achieve) I laugh. 

    We happened to sit next to each other during our high school sophomore year registration. I was familiar with this tiny, beautiful, awesome soccer player who really didn't have to acknowledge my presence, but we clicked immediately.  We kept each other awake during the BORING registration bullsh*t. And afterwards, she asked if I needed a ride. I didn't need one, but she was the coolest broad I had met-EVER- so, of course, I said yes.

And that's how we ended up eating french fries together and becoming best friends.

(The funny thing is, Rut and I have rehashed this specific day multiple times in our lives, but neither of us remembers what the hell was so funny).

     So that is how my best friend and I met. But what was to follow and continues today..... 
In the most of simplistic of terms, she is my soul mate.

And she gets married on Saturday.

    **Side note** To the rest of my friends getting married: don't think you don't mean the world to me, but Sharon? I've never been so thrilled, humbled, and honored to be a part of this wedding. She is marrying the man MEANT for her. And I absolutely love him the way I love my own brother.

     I could rehash all of our favorite memories in this entry (driving up the, er, wrong driveway and (me) talking our way out of it, her close friendship with the love of my life, our trips to California, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...-but those stories are for a different time). This entry is about how insanely happy I am for her and Scott.  

    And of course, the day she sends me the picture of her ring and the announcement that Scott proposed to her.....I left my stupid phone at home.....It was on her 30th birthday. They've been together for 11 years. 11 YEARS! 

     They are PERFECT for one another. Scott, well..... he's become very dear to me. A dear friend. We've all been through a lot in the last 10+ years. Good, bad, everything in between. And I adore them both, so much. I mean, I'm letting my soul mate marry someone;)

...I remember the day I broke the news to Scott and my love, telling them "I'm sorry boys, I love you and Sharon loves you, but we have plans together in the afterlife. But I guess I can share"......

     And I meant it, truly. I'm the first to say...if he weren’t good enough for her, I'd throw the ultimate sh*tfit. But I don't remember EVER being so thrilled about two people who love each other as much as my parents love each other. And THAT says A LOT. 

     Every single time I try to put something together to say at their wedding this Saturday, I completely break down. Don’t get the WRONG IDEA, because it's complete happiness with a very slight twinge of sadness (my love isn't here to see the two people he claimed would be together forever, make it official). However…..

The point is:

   I have never in my life been more certain of two people adoring one another. Scott and Sharon: they're what everyone wants in life. And although no one who knows me will ever say that I’m NOT a hot mess, there is something about these two getting married on Saturday that makes me realize: love is the only thing in the world that matters above everything else. Always. 

    So, to my dear, sweet friend Scott, and my SOULMATE Sharon, I can't wait for Saturday. I love you both so much.