The most beautiful lightning bolt.

Her name is Tessa. She is the beautiful spark of lightning that has illuminated my life for the past five years. When I first met her, I didn't know how special she was (truth be told). I remember thinking that she was pretty and athletic, and quiet in a good way. I asked her to be my roommate for our freshman year at JMU, she agreed. I figured she would be a fine person to live with, but didn't expect us to be much more than that. We were so different--different interests, different ways of interacting, different friends.

I was dead wrong.

And that's the understatement of the century. As soon as our parents walked out that dorm room door we became absolutely and irreversibly inseparable. Something about who we were as individuals was brought to incredible life when we were around each other. She taught me to be steady and true, she let me be who I was when no one else was watching. She endured my crazy and loved every minute of it. She taught me to run and to love my body by eating well, and she nurtured my need for adventure.

Most of all, she made me laugh. Simple sentences said in complete honesty and innocence became the basis for inside jokes that would last for years to come. No one else understood our humor, and we created a world in which we were the greatest comedians of all time. I am absolutely positive that everyone loathed being around us, as it was very hard to catch up on what hours of time and daily life together had created--true, beautiful best friendship that could never compare to any other relationship in our lives. We ended up living in the same room together all four years of college, and shared much more than just common space. We had the same major, same job and were involved in the same clubs. And while there were times we definitely needed our space, we always had each other at the end of the day.

And I am so much better for it. Tessa is unlike anyone I have ever known. She has the discipline and grace of a wicked fast and wildly successful marathon runner. In fact, she is so committed to her love of running that it often competes with her relationships (I never minded). She has run countless races, at least three marathons, and has expanded her repertoire to include rocky trails and terrain. She pushes herself to be the very best that she can be, and is one of the hardest workers I have had the privilege of being around. She is always organized, always on top of things, and always there for those that are close to her.


She is also one the most kind, caring individuals you will ever meet. She is committed to her friendships, and is the best at sending cards and gifts via mail. She is encouraging and motivating, and makes you want to find the life that she has managed to grab hold of every single day. She is constantly on the go but always there in spirit--reminding you of her friendship in little ways that make the biggest difference.

Tessa knows exactly who she is. She knows what she loves, what she wants to be, and how she wants to live her life. She has never tried to be anything but herself--and I love her most for that. Having such a constant, stable and never wavering friend has been the biggest blessing at all. She is my family in every way, and I can't say enough to explain how much she means to me.

Some people say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. That the magnificent bolt that streaks the sky is a once in a lifetime experience that cannot be exactly replicated ever again. I think that friendship often occurs the same way. And Tessa...she is my lightning bolt. Whether I get married or not, there will never be another person who will replace the spot in my heart that is reserved specifically and only for her. We have the love of a lifetime filled with all the fruits of a friendship that no man will ever understand. We have walked arm in arm through the good, the bad, and the absolutely heartbreaking. We have laughed, cried, fought and grown into the women we are together. She is my friend, she is my family, and she is the spark of lightning that will never burn out.

As for me? I'm just glad I got to be a part of the strike.