Letter from the Editor: I’d beat up anyone for you

By Courtney Warren

Love is such a fun topic to write about. I’ve written about my love for my daughter, my love for my students, and my love for my husband. But I think sometimes we forget one of the most important loves - and that’s the friendship kind of love. 

I typically describe myself as an extroverted introvert. I’m a great stage presence – when I’m on stage, I’m glitter, rainbows, high volume, and energy. But the minute I step off of the stage, I need to recharge away from people. I could easily spend days by myself without speaking to another person. While my husband was climbing the walls during the pandemic lockdown, I read every book we owned, redesigned the back garden, and taught myself how to sew a Busy Book for Nana. I can be alone, and I can be alone well. 

A few weeks ago, our pastor talked about how we are created to be with people. God saw that man was alone, and He knew it wasn’t good. We are meant for relationships. But I tend to find true relationships very difficult. Raised by a man who told me to speak my mind, I often find myself doing just that.
I’m a Slythern. I’m a type 8 Enneagram. I fail when it comes to keeping my thoughts to myself. And that can make relationships hard. So can changing schools a lot and then moving two states away, which is what my life experience included.

But God doesn’t want us to be alone, and He has a plan. In spite of my pickiness when it comes to friendships and my outspokenness and my love of glitter, God put people in my life who are incredible friends - and He also gave me one who is perfectly suited for all of my idiosyncrasies.

Lindsay and I don’t introduce ourselves as best friends, because it’s honestly not enough. We say life partner…and frankly, that’s what she is to me. I know that phrase can have other meanings, as well, but - to us - it means that God put us together as partners to “do life.” She loves me no matter what. She is the calm to my storm and the shadow to my glitter. We are the exact same - and yet not the same at all. 

She is the friend that lets me say whatever is on my mind, and I have complete comfort in knowing she is going to love me when my tantrum is over. 
She is the friend who showed up when no one else did. She is the friend I texted first when my dad had a heart attack, and her immediate response was “What do you need? I’m on the way.” 

She is the friend who saw me overwhelmed with moving from Cleveland to Canton and went house hunting with me for hours. She is the friend that saw me ready to fall apart but refusing to let anyone else know, so she stepped in and said “This is the house. Let’s choose this one.” 

She is the friend that got married on my birthday and - even though it was her day, her moment, her memory…she made sure I had my favorite kind of birthday cake at the rehearsal dinner. 

She is the friend that will come over and sit with me for hours while we read and watch Nana (my daughter) play in the backyard. No words needed. 
She is my second emergency contact. She is on the pickup list for Nana. She is the third on my favorite list in my cell phone. 

She is spooky, kind, loving, accepting, and every bit the squish to my spikiness. She makes me better. She is to be protected at all costs – any friend like her is. 

My prayer for all of us is that we find that friend that changes our entire soul. The one that becomes family and, despite any differences, time, distances, or seasons in life, we cling to them as we navigate life. Because God says we aren’t supposed to do it alone. 

It’s her birthday. And because I am the worst at coming up with gifts, but not the worst at coming up with words, here they are. Thank you for being my person. Thank you for being my sister. Merp.