Some people find their best friend in elementary, middle, or high school. I found mine on my birth day. Literally… the day I was born. Her name is Joanie Beaver and at 1:26 PM on April 22, 1997 she became my best friend.
In case you didn’t gather this, Joanie is my mom. She’s the one who taught me how to read and write. She taught me how to laugh and be silly. She taught me to enjoy the more artistic side of life. She held my hand on my first day of school and didn’t get offended when I rushed into the class instead of clutching her pant leg and begging for mercy.
You see, I wasn’t your average kid. I was an academic from the beginning. A lover of all things learning. A bookworm and a writer and a curious mind that could never quite get all of the answers she desired. Whenever people ask me where I got that, I always say I was born with it. It’s like my mom passed it down.
She used to sing to me when I was really little. Now I have an immense appreciation of music.
She taught me to read by reading to me and letting me read to her. I am now a serious bookworm and lover of the written word.
She taught me how to form my letters and sentences. She also taught me that there’s more to a sentence than just spelling everything right. You have to have some pizazz. A little bit of character. Now I’m a writer, and some people say I might be pretty good at it.
When most people meet me, they just see a shell. They see a smile and sometimes a brain, depending on the setting. They see an introvert with big dreams. There’s nothing I hate more in life than opening up to people. I despise the thought of getting hurt, and it hasn’t happened often, because I just don’t bother with it to begin with.
My relationship with my mom is different.
When I’m upset, she’s the first person I want to talk to. When something amazing happens, she’s always the first to know. She’s the one I read my writings to. She’s the source of so much of my joy and she’s the one who taught me that Jesus loves me. She’s the only person I can sit in a car with for twelve hours and laugh almost the whole time.
I’ll sing at the top of my lungs any time I’m with her. I’ll talk all through the night about nothing in particular.
And that’s why she’s my best friend, my number one fan, and the only person I would ever want to own a business with. She’s at the top of my ‘Thankfulness List’ this year.
To mom: Thanks for putting up with me and owning a company with me. Thanks for helping me push through writer’s block and motivation-less days and thanks for always celebrating the little things. You remind me to always, no matter what, be thankful in everything. Love you.
Jenni, sweet post. Blessings to you and your mom for Thanksgiving!