The day I came home from the hospital, Chip and I were put in a crib in my living room so that we could soak in the sun as a treatment for our jaundice. From before we were even capable of deciding, we were inseparable. Even once we were old enough to decide who our friends were, we had plenty of friends but there was no one I was closer to than Chip. We went to the same daycare until school started and even then we went to Pre-K together. Not a day went by where I didn't spend every second of free time with Chip. Whether we were playing in the ditch in my front yard, riding our bikes or Barbie & GI Joe jeeps down the road, or creating some crazy adventure in the backyard, we were making some of the best memories that I have from my childhood. Chip and I played Y sports together, we went to church together, and although we had our moments, there wasn't a thing in the world that could tear us apart. When we were still in daycare, Chip would come over for sleepovers and we would watch Little Rascals until we couldn't hold our eyes open anymore. In the movie, Stymie tells Alfalfa and Spanky that "You only meet your once in a lifetime friend, once in a lifetime." So, so true.
Once kindergarten started, Chip and I were at different schools so our playtime was only after school. When we were about seven years old, Chip moved about a mile and a half away. Don't worry, I moved about halfway between his house and our old houses. When our parents couldn't take us to see each other, we'd ride our bikes to each others houses so we could still make the most of the time we had together. In sixth grade, we started going to the same school again and we would ride to and from school together everyday and spend the afternoons doing homework together and still getting into anything we could find to do. When we were sophomores, Chip was accepted to NC School of Science and Math. My heart was a little broken that my little genius was going to be living an hour away for the next two years.
Fortunately for Chip and I, there's nothing in the world that can come between our friendship. When Chip came home on the weekends, we made sure to have time together and when he turned his tassel at NCSSM graduation, I was standing in the crowd cheering as loud as anyone. We walked across the front of the church together on Senior Sunday and we've made it just two month short of college graduation and there's not a person in the world that I've built a friendship with like the one I have with Chip.
Today, Chip is months away from graduating and pursuing a career in the seminary. My best friend has spent the past two summers in missionary programs including a trip to Uganda last summer. You think this guy has an incredible heart, you have no idea. Chip is one of the smartest people I've ever known and he literally could have any high-paying, high-profile job that he wanted, but he's choosing to help others in a way that most people would never do. I am so proud of you, Chip!
I'm not saying I don't have any other friends, I have amazing friends and they mean the world to me. There's just a bond between Chip and I, almost like brother and sister. I can't imagine growing up with anyone else by my side and there's no doubt that Chip has helped make me into the person I am today. People say to always count your blessings, I have to count Chip twice.
Thank you for always being there for me and for knowing me better than I sometimes know myself. Thanks for being the kind of friend that I can not talk with for a month and then talk to like we hung out yesterday. Thanks for being you, Chip, and I hope 22 is the best year yet! Here's to 22 years of the most incredible friendship and to many, many more!
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| I just realized how similar these two pictures are when I was adding these to this post! So funny! |
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