“People come into our lives and we know right away that they were meant to be there to serve some sort of purpose, perhaps to teach us a lesson, or help us to figure out who we are– or need to become. We never know who these people may be but we lock eyes with them and know at that very moment that this person will effect our lives in some profound way”
This quote has always been one of my favorites and I believe I have felt this way about everyone I have truly loved. This post is coming a little later than expected, but I finally had time to write it. My best friend in Georgia just moved back to South Florida, leaving me here! I wanted to share the story of how we met and became friends with you all.
In late 2013 my new neighbor introduced me to her photographer via Facebook for newborn photos for Charlotte. I did not know what to expect when I messaged her. Considering I hadn’t spoke to anyone here in Georgia besides my neighbor, I was a little nervous. First we just talked about my wants for the photos and when Charlotte was due, we set a date for my due date hoping she would be here by then. Well as my that date approached and she was not ready to come yet, we began to talk more. Just staying in touch so she could come to the hospital after Charlotte was born for the photos. As time went on we talked more and more about photography, life and being an army wife over Facebook messaging. I had not had the easiest time making friends here and she seemed like someone I would normally hang out with. As an army wife you get set up on play dates with other wives that you just might not click with,but because your husbands are friends you tend to become friends as well. It was so wonderful talking to someone organically. Charlotte decided to grace us with her presence a week late, so our original photo plan did not work out. Elizabeth ended up coming to our home a few days after Charlotte arrived home from the hospital. I wasn’t nervous to meet Elizabeth in person and just as I expected it wasn’t awkward at all. We just began talking as if I knew her already. She stayed for a few hours to make sure we got all the shots we wanted with Char. She hates those pictures looking back now, because she has grown so much as a photographer. Although I will always love them and think they are wonderful.
After that day we would still talk here and there, I didn’t really talk to anyone or leave the house often. I was so overwhelmed with being a new mom and being away from home, it probably seemed like I did not like her or want to be friends. But that just was not the case. Over the next few months I maybe saw her twice on outings with my neighbor at the time Amy. We would go out to shop and do lunch. You know things stay at home moms do..HA-HA. Just kidding we do more than that.
When it came time to do Charlottes three month photos, I of course asked her to do them. She kindly said she would do them for free and said she would do her six, nine and 12 months as well. They went so well we had such a good time again. We had a few more shopping trips and lunches and mommy and me photos she did for us. Around the time we were planning to take Charlottes six months photos she told me about a friend who she thought was just using her for free pictures and how upset she was. I told her I hoped she didn’t feel the same way about me. She said she didn’t but… that she felt she only saw me when we did photos. It broke my heart! I hated that she felt that way, and I didn’t see it the same way. I called John, my mom and my best friend at home crying my eyes out. The one person I thought was my friend here did not feel the same way about me. My heart was broken, I felt like my high school boy friend had broken up with me. So I distanced myself from her a bit until the six month photos. When we arrived, it seemed like she was not mad at me or anything had happened. So after that I made it a point to let her know I was a good friend and wanted a better relationship than that. I started trying to make it a point to talk to her everyday and go on more mommy outings with our daughters. It may have taken us awhile to become close but after we started spending more time together it was like we had been friends forever.
So now that you know how we met and became friends I want to tell you how she impacted my life. Elizabeth has been an army wife long before me and a mother over a year before me. When I came here I had no idea what to expect as an army wife and being away from the only home I’ve known. Or how to deal with my husband randomly being gone for a night, or out in the field for training or gone almost a month for WLC. I also was far away from my mom and sister who I leaned on a lot for support with everything in life. Especially being a new mom. Now I do not mean this in a bad way at all. But I feel if I had lived at home when I had Charlotte, my mom would have done everything for me with her. I wouldn’t have had to learn to be the mother I am today. I want to thank Elizabeth for that. Watching her with her daughter and seeing how strong of a mom/wife/women she is has really shaped the way I learned to be a mom this past year. The same goes for being a wife. There were so many times that I just wanted to run home and turn away from the problems we were having. That I am sure all married couples go through in their first year of marriage. But she always told me we would get through it and we could handle it. She taught me to make my house a home no matter how long we will be there, and in the army you never know how long that will be. She taught me not to be scared of putting my self out there and making new friends. I am thankful she introduced me to more wives that I am starting to become friends with. She also gave life to this blog! She has been the photog behind all of my fashion photos! And she gave me the amazing gift of her knowledge of photography. But most if all she gave me the gift of friendship when I needed it most. She has been there for me through it all this pasted year. I couldn’t be more grateful for her. Hopefully I left her with more than just my bad shopping habit!
I feel like we have given so many good things to one another over this short year we have known one another. She has become one of the most important people in my life and I am so proud to call her my best friend. She also gave me the beautiful gift of memories of Charlotte over the first year of her life. I only hope I gave her as much love as she has showed me. But all good things must come to an end…as I was saying, you never know how long you will be somewhere in the army. Elizabeth’s husband is PCSing(moving) to Korea for a year, and she has moved back home to south Florida now. Jealous? I know I am. I am so sad she is gone, I don’t know what I will do without her. She has been my rock the past few months. I know this isn’t the end of our friendship, she is someone that will always be apart of my life. Who knows maybe we will end up at the same post again when her husband comes back state side! But until then I guess I will just have to visit Florida a few/100 times a year! I love you Elizabeth thank you for all the memories in photographs and in my heart! See you in Florida soon!