For Good

”I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason”

I’d love to say that the moment I met her with her curly red hair and freckles like constellations I instantly knew she’d become a constant pillar in my life and my very best friend but the truth is it didn’t exactly happen that way. In fact, after being cast in a community theater production sharing many scenes together, my character was her assistant, we didn’t really talk let alone hit it off until show week. If you get her to tell this story she’d probably tell you how we both made snap judgments of the other and didn’t really like each other the first couple of months. But even as show week came to an end and I was putting my number in her phone under “Keilee The Epic” with a bunch of emojis I had no idea that 11 years later it would still be there. 

I could sit here and write a whole dissertation on Emma. I could tell you what she likes; cats, and what she doesn’t; mayonnaise, that her favorite color is not purple but actually yellow and she’s one of the few people I know who can correctly wear and rock a scarf. I could go on with the trivia style facts but that’s not really who she is. Emma is unstoppable. She is determined, a force to be reckoned with but also incredibly kind and compassionate and can make friends with anyone, including park pigeons. She’s effortlessly fun, outgoing and magnetic. Once you get to know her you’ll consider her a best friend. She’s not only passionate but proactive with those passions. She’s brave, bold and fearless, except when it comes to bugs. She celebrates with you and for you and never once undervalues your accomplishments. She is creative and talented and always makes her visions come to life. I honestly believe she could do anything she wanted and given the opportunity could solve many of the world’s problems. 

Looking back through the years I can see all the scenes coming together. The insignificant mundane of life, silly rants and glamping. The accomplishments and opportunities, the quarter life crisis and fun of girlhood. Enter in the boys, the tears, losses, breakups and the banana shirt guys. The next act is full of big dreams and big moves, new jobs and thankfully quit jobs. There is comedic relief with falling in love with the same fictional characters and obsessing over Taylor Swift. Some of the scenes play out through the long FaceTime calls and several months of 8 hour time differences. Through all these 11 years I’ve gotten a front row seat to the most incredible show of them all; Emma. 

She is the golden retriever to my black cat, the big city to my small town, the sweet to my sour, the Serena to my Blair, the ginger to my blonde and even though I’m the one with a love for pink she is the Glinda to my Elphaba. 

Maybe I didn’t know the moment I met her in 2013 that she would be so important to me, but I’ve known every day since. 

“I do believe I have been changed for the better, and because I knew you, I have been changed for good” ~Wicked