From Diapers to Marriage

I was so young when I met Rachael that I don't remember it. We have been told that it involved screaming and fighting...which is probably true, because at least once a month we were put in time out on separate couches for refusing to share.

Every time Rachael came to my house, she wanted to watch Barney. My parents didn't give me Barney tapes, or tv at all besides PBS, KOMU8 and the weird Christian channel that sometimes came through the antenna depending on the day. Heck I didn't even get siblings! So unfortunately Rachael and I were forced to use our imaginations when we were at my house (oh what a concept) and we quickly narrowed down our favorite imagination games:

-cowboys and indians

-sister detectives (we got this idea from Mary Kate and Ashley of course)

-Justin Timberlake and Brian Littrell's girlfriends- like any 90s girl would.

-dressing up my dog Jessie.

Time went on, and we got older.

I constantly made this face because I hated my teeth before I got braces and she was making fun of me.

I went away to college, and then so did Rachael.

Still we remained friends. One of those friendships where you can lose contact for three months and pick right back up where you left off- those are really the best.

Rachael & I grew up in the church- it's where we met, it was the first thing we had in common, and for a long time it was the reason we stayed friends.
Part of growing up in the church is being taught that a lot of "worldly" things are not allowed or tolerated. One of those things is being gay.

I watched Rachael struggle with being gay for years. She dated a few guys in high school, but it was like she was just going through the motions. Nothing clicked, but she was told she had to like boys- that was what God wanted, because she was a girl. She went back and forth with what to do, but eventually decided to dedicate her life to God and do her best to forget about girls.

She went to a Christian college. For years she did nothing but praise God, pray to God, and try harder than ever to be attracted to men.

But she wasn't.

and then she met Kim.

As the best friend, even knowing since Rachael & I were in high school that she liked girls, it was hard for me to adjust for awhile. When you are taught your entire life that something is wrong, it takes you a bit to be open minded.

But when I saw Kim and Rachael together, that was it for me.

They love each other and are perfect together, and Rachael is finally herself.
I could not be happier for them, and I am so thankful that they are in my life. I have learned so much from their relationship and I have become a better person knowing them.

If you are gay, don't let people tell you who to love. Love who you love. Be who you are. Be who you were meant to be.

Congratulations to my best friend and her bride.