"My Best Friend"

Sheryl Moore  (February 14, 1957 - July 28, 2019) 

Friends that  you meet later in your life are different than the ones you have when you are young. 

For instance, in elementary or jr high, your best friend and you are still forming how to have relationships and so you both have to like the same everything. You want to wear the same clothes, same makeup. You like or dislike the same people. You copy everything from each other. Favorite movie stars, bands, and even boys. 

Sometimes people remain life long friends. Through kids, husbands, dogs, politics, you stay friends for life. Sometimes, a lot of the time, these relationships grow apart as you grow. Not because you don't still love your friend, but you move towards different goals and have different opinions.

A friendship that blossoms later in life is much different. You go into the relationship knowing and respecting the differences that make you who you are. You have different ideas, but you find a common ground on which friendship grows. It is our differences that teach us to love things we never thought that we could. 

This Best Friend that I found in Sheryl was just like that. I remember the first time I met her. 

You know I am shy and self conscious and easily can just hide in plain sight. Especially when I am in a situation where I don't know anyone, I want to put my eyes down and just hide. 

I was trying to hide behind Mike that day when we went to our first STAR meeting. She was the LOS officer. I saw her smiling at me like a crazy woman. She came up and started talking and I was doing my best to hide. She didn't let me. I wasn't use to getting that much attention. I don't know why she tried so hard, but I am glad she did.

Over the last 14 years we became very best friends. As we grew closer, her family became my family and my family became hers. We were different and the same. Sometimes we didn't see eye to eye, but that was okay. We respected each other and was able to learn from each other. I loved her like family, like a sister.  We shared so much friendship and love. 

Friends are how we get through every day of every year. God puts people in our lives whenever he sees a need for them. Sometimes they are there to comfort us and support us. Sometimes they are there to teach us life lessons. He places them in our lives for however long we need them. Some friends are life long and others move through for just a quick minute.

I can't imagine why God decided that I didn't still need Sheryl. I am selfish as I know she is singing with the angels, Her broken human body is healed and she is no longer suffering. I know these things to be true, but my heart hurts and I already miss her so much.

Politics ARGH....State Questions????

I really hate politics. I just want the two sides to honestly lay out what they are selling and then just let us make a decision. With the Presidential Election throwing around so much negativity, we don't even know what our State Questions mean.

There is so much negativity. When we are teaching our children about our most important right of this country...The Right To Vote...all they see is a bunch of adults acting like neanderthals. I started to say children, but our children may be immature, they are not cruel, nasty people. They have to be feeling the effects of all the stress that this election is bringing to their parents, grandparents, teachers...well all the adults in their lives. But enough about the negativity and visceral that surrounds our elections.

The media doesn't think that we are smart enough to look at the issues and make up our own minds. They prejudice the news that they are suppose to be reporting. When this happens, it brings out the worst in all of the candidates. And the candidates play right into that. They in return quit focusing on the issues. We get no real answers on how they will lead our country. I just want it all to stop,

Now having gotten that rant out of my system, I want to say how confused I am about our State Questions. I know I am not informed enough to vote on State Question 777. I also want to say that the people that is most affected by this law are the farmers. So my questions are what percentage of the population are farmers? Why would the rest of the State even know how this affects their lives and businesses. Wouldn't this question be left up to them?  I hope that they know what is best for the state. I want to do best for those that would be affected.I think the rest of the questions, I can make a good choice. It's just this one that I am worried that my vote will not be the right one.

Did I say that I hate politics? Well I hope everyone of you get out and vote. Do what ever you can to make the best decisions for you and your family! Don't forget that it is your right and it is completely anonymous. It is also your right not to tell anyone the way you voted. In fact, it is considered rude to ask someone how they voted.   

Friends

Friends are how we get through every day of every year. God puts people in our lives whenever he sees a need for them. Sometimes they are there to comfort us and support us. Sometimes they are there to teach us life lessons. He places them in our lives for however long we need them. Some friends are life long and others move through for just a quick minute.

I have been blessed with every kind of friend. Although those that are here for just a quick minute, doesn't mean you lose them. It just means that they have come through and made an impact on our lives and then they move on. Life gets busy and you lose touch. You will never forget them or what they taught you or gave you. They stay in a special place in our hearts and heads and we will remember them when we need to.

One of my friends from work is moving on. She and her family are able to move to the next place in their life journey. Moving home close to their family will truly be a blessing and I am so happy for them. I have to ask myself what God had planned when he put her here for me. I think I know the reason. She has taught me that life is not that perfect square box that we think it is. That thinking outside the corners or under the floor, is okay. I tend to be judgemental and closed minded. She has given me many things that caused me to grow as a person. I am sure that I still don't understand all that God had planned. There will be times in my life that I will be faced with a decision to make and her words will be remembered.

She has also given me support and encouragement when I have needed it. She has shown me how to love by her actions. This is God's plan. The way we live our lives when we don't know anyone is watching. Well, that is what we should strive for.

We don't speak every day and our lives outside of school never cross. But I consider her my friend and hope that she knows how much I love her and how much she will be missed.
I am still hoping for an orthopedic High Heel club so I can join. I want some Cheerleader red lipstick that doesn't come off all day.... I hope her and Brock enjoy raising those two beautiful baby girls on the farm.

I will miss you  Amanda Puffett. I would say some great quote from Star Wars or Harry Potter, but I can't think of any...