Well, today we celebrated the 40th birthday of my dearest friend, cousin, and pseudo sister Vesta. (AKA Mary). And since I failed to give her a card today due to all the busyness, she gets a whole blog post dedicated just to her. :) I feel so sorry for anyone who has never met her or does not have a friend as great as her. Our relationship goes way beyond being first cousins. She is my best friend. I know, I know, you are are thinking that Jeff should be my best friend. And he is. But this is different. Vesta is my best friend/sister/partner in crime/therapist/encourager/confidant all rolled into one.
When I think of all we have been through together, all the things we have been through in our own lives, how much we have relied on each other through the years. I can't imagine a life without her in it. She is a wonderful daughter who loved and honored her parents and was loved and valued by her parents until they passed way too soon. But they left her with so much. She is courageous and strong. She received the kind heart, gentle spirit, and the ability to cook GOOD southern food. She can bake anything you can imagine and has the best lasagna, chicken n pastry, sausage balls, and pretty much everything she touches is amazing. From her Father she learned never to give up, keep fighting, and an impeccable work ethic that is unmatched. She will and does give her all in everything she signs up for. She has a problem telling people NO, but she still manages to get it all done.
We have been through all the years of dating. College graduation, more dating, engagements, weddings, and her babies being born. She was there when my Dad died. She "got" it. She understood. She told me it would be ok. We would survive this. That she was there for me. She understood when it was hard for me to show emotion, she knew that if it started, I feared it would never end.
She supported me through my divorce, was elated when Jeff and I met, rejoiced when I had an instant family with Amber, and was one of the biggest supporters of our adoption. For two years of holidays she helped me bake, bake, and bake some more. Hundreds of dozens of peanut butter balls were rolled, dipped, and prepared to sell. Over a hundred cheesecakes were lovingly made by hand and sold. All to raise money for our adoption. Many late nights spent in her kitchen. I think of her when I hold my son. And I tell him how many people love him and worked to help us bring him home. I tell him about his Aunt Vesta and how much she did for us, for him. I know he will love her the way I love her.
She has a great laugh. Especially when she gets really tickled over something. It is contagious. She is a wonderful teacher and has the talent and ability to teach high school students every day. I know she makes a difference in their lives. She is a natural. She is also really creative. We have a mutual love for Sonic drinks, office supplies - good writing pens, and fresh new notebooks. We love the beach and fondly remember riding home in her convertible after a long day at the beach. :) We have years of shared memories of the days we spent wondering how our lives would turn out. And lots of memories that are just ours. Of silly choices made, fun times, inside jokes, stupid boys, and the kind of secrets that you can only tell your best friend. Because you know she won't look at you funny and she will still be your best friend.
Anyway, I'm sure you get the gist of how wonderful she is. Here are a few pictures of us over the years. And if you don't have a friend like Vesta, go out and find you one, quick. Your life will be much better, fuller, happier, and have more meaning if you have a friend like her on your side.
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| Vesta's Birthday - 1979 That's me, the little person in the front. We were party animals way back then. LOL |
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| Our infamous trip to Stone Mtn, NC. I still think you can see our hearts beating if you look closely! That was a big mountain! |
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| Vesta's College Graduation |
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| It was a great decision to skip my Senior Prom to go to this race. What a great time! |
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| Hanging out in the kitchen even back then! Summer 1995 |
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| Fast forward a few year, marriages, and kids. Still looking good! |
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| Love my Sis |
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| Holding down the fort on our yearly gate duty at EXCITE. We have always made a great team! |
