Holly

Terrorizing a fellow third grader is one of the best things I ever did. I don't remember exactly how it happened, but it went something like this:

We were both standing outside of our teachers' doors waiting for the recess bell to ring. Even though we were in different classes, the doors were right next to each other so we were close enough to talk. I don't know who struck up the conversation, but somewhere in the middle of it all I opened my big Mormon mouth and related to this other little girl about how back in the day Mormon pioneers were persecuted, tarred and feathered, and driven out of their homes. I don't think I was graphic, but as this other girl recalls the experience several decades later, she says it kinda freaked her out.

Luckily, it didn't freak her out enough to stop her from talking to me again. That second talk turned into me coming over to play at her house. Which lead to her coming over to mine. Which lead to years of sleepovers, eating lunch together every day in middle school, sharing head lice, birthday parties at the beach, her taking me ice skating for the first time, me dragging her along to church activities, "studying" together, rooming together on high school band and gov & pol trips, keeping in touch after high school, me asking her to be a bridesmaid, me freaking out when she told me she is engaged and an all-around awesome 16 years of being best friends.

Terrorizing nine-year old Holly Engh is one of the best things I ever did because Holly is one of the best people I know and I am grateful to have her as a friend. Growing-up she proved herself to be the perfect partner to have fun with at the park and to talk to about boys with on the weekends. Now that I'm older and we don't get to spend as much time "playing" together, I value her even more not just for what she does, but for who she is. 

Holly is quite possibly the most thoughtful human being I have ever met. Her reaction to me getting pregnant is just one example of this. When I announced Phoebe's birth online she called me (not texted) within five minutes saying that she was so excited. A week later there was a "Glad you're having a baby because the world needs more people like you" card in the mail. From then on she has showered me with love and support in my journey being pregnant and in having baby Phoebe in more ways than one. My personal favorites have been the postcards she has thought to send Phoebe while on vacations--one a few weeks before Phoebe was born and one a few weeks afterwards. She's on her vacation and she stops to take time to think about me and my baby and to send said baby a postcard. Who does that? Oh yeah--Holly.

There are so many other things I like about Holly. She cherishes family. She's hilarious. She hates flying United (not that I have anything about United, but her story about why she hates it is pretty funny). She chooses to be happy regardless of what life throws at her. She lets me pester her about becoming a Mormon. She goes to Disneyland too much. She takes me for who I am.

So while I very much plan on teaching my children to be kind to others and to try and not terrorize their fellow students, if one of them happens to terrify a fellow third grader with a story about how the Mormons got tarred and feathered back in the day, I just might let it slide. The possibility of them getting their own Holly would be too invaluable to interfere with.