I met her in college, through mutual friends...

...we shared a degree plan and an excitement for being around people. I remember that she was wonderfully open and friendly and she laughed frequently, regardless of circumstances. One Thanksgiving, as I walked with trepidation into the home of my fiance's grandparents, I was confused to see her sitting at a table, chatting with members of my future family-in-law. As it turned out, she was the girlfriend of John's cousin (and pseudo-brother in childhood). In fact, she had been in the family much longer than I had! As we exchanged hugs and excited chatter, I suddenly had many more reasons to look forward to family gatherings (this is no slight to my incredible family of in-laws; but, come on, the beginnings are always scary).

Over time, I would get to know her better through our shared coursework and random family events. I always felt that she would be a constant, welcome friend. But when John and I relocated to San Antonio for law school, I was more than relieved to know that she and Robert were already there for their own graduate work. We bunked at their house while apartment hunting and ended up renting a place just across the street from their neighborhood. For the last two years, John and I have lived less than a mile away, and we have enjoyed many, many dinners and weekends together with our family members that have quickly become our closest friends.

She and I trained for and raced in a half-marathon last year. That meant 4 mornings a week running together before the sun came up. On our long runs, we often had 2 or 3 hours to chat. Somehow, there was really never empty space between us. For a short while, she subbed at my school, using her skills as a soon-to-be Registered Dietician to update our kitchen menu and serve tasty, healthy food to our students. She recently officially became part of our family when she and Robert married in January. They have celebrated 10 years together, and I have been blessed to be witness to their relationship.

My dear friend, and cousin, has been a constant companion to me in the last two years. She is the sort of friend that I don't like to imagine the future without. I know her to be funny, honest, fantastically opinionated and passionate, overwhelmingly giving and intensely loyal. Over the last two years, we have shared dinners with our husbands, lunches during our work breaks, weekend adventures and date nights. She has been my best friend and a great encouragement in a time that could otherwise be looked back upon with frustration.

Today she came to my school, brought decorations for our lunch table and cupcakes for my students and me and helped me to celebrate my birthday with a little flare. She gave me a beautiful gift and then took me to coffee on my lunch break where she helped me to work through some heart issues that I had been struggling with. She listened while I expressed my confusion, then asked permission to play devil's advocate. Even when honestly probing, she still compassionately approached my situation and graciously helped me to talk through my thoughts. If ever a person understood that I am an external deliberator, she does. I went back to work feeling refreshed (as I often do after a lunch with her) and comforted.

Tomorrow, she and Robert are making "Birthday Breakfast" for me and John before driving us to the airport. I will see her again on Monday when she picks us up, which she insisted on doing. It's someone like her that makes me look forward to coming back home, even when it means leaving my family in Dallas.

To my dear cousin, running partner, lunch buddy, shopping companion, personal stylist, sounding board and best friend: Thank you, Stephie, for being so fantastically fabulous. It is an absolute joy to know you.