the moon to my sun, the sun to my moon

you know that feeling? the feeling of coming home. where everything feels safe and familiar and, like it belongs. like you belong. well, sometimes you get lucky enough to get that same feeling when it comes to people. and for me, I am lucky enough to say that I share that feeling with the sweet, gracie girl. a friend that I have had for many years - even more years than I sometimes recognize...discreetly starting all the way back from our brief, and incredibly awkward, days in Awanas, to our iPad selfies in middle school, to our bestfriending in the high school locker room before and after gym class, to the unbreakable bond of "BB" and "BT" in high school, to college of "Miss Kay" and "Gray" and what I can only image will one day be "aunty Gigi" and "aunty Mimi" - you know the friends your parents have that aren't your 'actual' family but you see them so often and know the love your mom has for them that you can't remember a time you didn't call them by their name without aunty in front of it.

because that's the friendship Gracie Kate and I have. the hometown friendship that gives you the feeling of coming home...a home away from home, whenever you're together, no matter how much time has passed.

so this is my thank you to her

to my Gracie Kate

to the girl who is the silver, to my gold

to the girl that shares my love for the aesthetics of life, the meaning and sentiments within stories, the significance of the small and big details, the love for the beauty and tragedy of all there is, the memories within a moment or a photograph, the love for love

for every sappy word, sappy picture, sappy gift, or sappy memory there is between gray and I - there are only so many things to say when you want each thing to be as perfect as the person you're trying to commemorate

but instead I'll say it again

our friendship, and Gracie Kate herself, is like the feeling of coming home

she's like the song "Cover Me Up" by Morgan Wallen and "To Build A Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra

she's like the sunlight on your face on the first day of summer - so, so warm

she's like the tightest, most spazzest, hug you didn't know you needed until you found yourself not wanting to let go

she's the fly away baby hairs in a messy pony tail

she's a sweet, Spanish princess

she's mismatched pajamas; a grace deering classic

she's fancy coats and flower shirts; the best of both worlds

she's zigzagged conversations

she's matching hats and earrings

she's the moon to your sun, and the sun to your moon

she's Gracie Kate