My Best Friend

Well, it is almost midnight and it has been about a week since my last blog. This one is going to be a little different though. You see, my best friend comes on my blogspot sometimes and reads my blogs. She has been asking for a while that I write one about her. Well, Amanda, this one is for you. To all the others who read this may you see how I met the girl who is now my best friend.
It all started when I first moved here from Georgia back in 2001. We had only been here a couple months and I was not thrilled to be in Oklahoma -of all places-! We had been house hunting for a while and we eventually came to the one we live in now. When we first came to the house I saw a little girl in shorts and a T-shirt walking down the sidewalk. My mom said," Look Jackie! There is a girl who could be a friend for you!" I was almost offended. I said, "Mom, she looks like someone who could play Barbies with Victoria." Man, was I wrong about that one. It was not that much longer and we moved in and started getting settled. I 'properly' met Amanda a few houses down from our house. She informed me she was in the 5th grade, she had just recently turned 11, and her full name was Amanda Lynne Steele. I think we were friends from that point on.
Through time we started becoming closer. She would come to my house almost every day after school and we would play outside, whether it was riding bikes, scooters, basketball, riding the skateboards down the steep driveways, or on many occasions her mom made her do all her homework before she could play so she would bring it outside and I would do her science homework while she finished her math or history homework. One day I will never forget was the day I was able to sit with her up in my room and lead her to the Lord. She accepted Christ as her Savior and soon started coming to church with me and my family. I know now, she was a big reason God had me and my family move to Oklahoma.
We spent almost every single day together for years. She never would spend the night at my house though. She was afraid of the dark I think. :-) We shared almost everything. Our hopes, dreams, crushes, fears. You name it, we knew it. She was my partner in crime.
After a sad series of events she had to move up to Missouri with her extended family. You know the funny thing is though....that although I thought that was gonna change alot of things it really didn't. Even though she lives nearly 5 hours away it is just as if she is living a few houses over. We still share secrets, still laugh at the stupid muffin joke, still talk almost every day, still talk about our 'crushes', and when we see eachother every couple months we make sure we do our tradition rituals of sitting in the driveway and talking until late in the night and getting up early the next morning just so we can go eat Denny's.
Not only have we spent our middle school years together, you know those awkward years when you are transitioning from a younger kid to a weird teenager?, but our highschool years as well,although we were seperated for most of them. Now we are both graduated and looking forward to the fall semesters of college. I am not really sure what life is going to bring for either one of us but I do know one thing. My best friend and I are going to face life together.
There are many things that people can find when they look up the word 'friendship'; Go on any internet site, read it in any book, find it in any work of art, see it in a photograph, hear about it in songs, it can be defined in the dictionary! The best way to truly see friendship though, is not by searching in any of those things. Not a book, song, site, or picture- rather friendship can be seen and enjoyed by just having that friend who helped create that frienship right there beside you; laughing at your stupid jokes, crying with you when you cry, listening when no one else will, arguing with you when there is no one to argue with, informing you when you are being stupid and need to straighten up, helping you figure out that stupid math problem, telling you that boy you thought you really liked was really just a jerk who needed to get a life, watching movies with you and screaming extremely loud on the jumpy parts, cracking pecans on the front porch with you when there is nothing else to do. Friendship is all of the above! I don't believe it can truly be defined in words. The saying goes,"Actions speak louder than words." Friendship is not just a word, it's an action. The friend that stays beside you when the going gets tough, when nothing seems right, when you keep scewing up, when you know you can depend on them through the thick and the thin- that is when you know not only have you found a friend but probably your BEST FRIEND!


Until next time,
ActionJacksontheAngloSaxon

Family

Hello! I have not been able to write in quite a while due to a hectic couple of weeks but I hope everyone had a great Independence Day this past week!
As me and my family usually do, we went to Texas for the 4th of July. We had a great time and although I did not really want to go in the beginning, I am glad I went.
I was able to meet three cousins that are all under a year and was able to spend time with other cousins, aunts, and uncles. Being the oldest cousin has both it's advantages and disadvantages. Now don't get me wrong because I absolutely love being the oldest cousin but along with being the oldest I realize the responsibility that I must carry. In being the oldest not only do you have to watch what you say or do, but you have to be open-minded. Never become too old or mature to where you cannot be a kid anymore. Examle: My older cousins wanted to go to the mall while we were there. They asked if I would take them and I said I would so I and 5 teenagers loaded up. We went to the mall that same day and spent a few hours there. I enjoyed it and liked watching how all the older kids interacted with eachother, especially my brother and Tyler, because they were only two boys. Driving back out to the ranch, I was tired, my mouth was sore, but my heart was pretty light.
The next day my younger cousins, Justin, who is 5, and Lee, who is 7, were playing in the living room floor with their cowboys, Indians, and Transformers. As I was sitting there watching them play Justin said,"Do you wanna play 'The West' with us?" Of course, it was not really a game, but rather the two boys playing in the floor with the toys. I got in the floor and began playing make-believe. The range of abilities as an older cousin should never be limited!
The youngest cousin now is only 4 months old. I took her outside the last night we were there and walked with her and whispered words to her until she fell asleep in my arms. As I was walking around with her I thought of the great age difference between us-18 years- then found it humorous because the oldest cousin/grandchild/neice was cradling the youngest cousin/grandchild/neice. I thanked God for allowing me to be the oldest; not because I get any special rewards or praise but simply because I can see things differently and look at things in a somewhat different light when it comes to my cousins.
My aunts gave me wisdom in their own special ways and my uncles...well, they just gave me a hard time. That's what they do best though.
My family can be chaotic, hectic, and sometimes out of sorts, but I would not have it any other way! Each person brings something to the family that somebody else does not and probably could not because only that one individual carries it. Even though they may sometimes give me a headache, I know they love me! That is what family is all about anyway, right? They are supposed to get on your nerves but beat up the first person that tries to tear you down. That is just how it goes. That is family!


Until next time,
ActionJacksontheAngloSaxon