An Ode to Rachel....on the Eve of her Wedding

All the wine at the rehearsal dinner tonight sent me into an emotional tailspin...several unfortunate people sitting in close proximity can vouch for this.  I will now type and cry, type and cry.  It's therapeutic.


Rachel is the one I met in the 1st grade.  She had just moved from the "dot" and I was her mother's worst Johnson County nightmare.

Rachel was my three-legged-race partner during field day.  We won second place.  I have not seen her move faster than a walk since that day.

Rachel is the one who cried with me before I told my mom about the stupid thing I did in 8th grade. 

Rachel is the one who used to love wearing "country apple" body lotion from Bath and Body Works.  That is, until her mother told us we were too old to go around smelling like fruit.

Rachel is the one I spent countless hours with at 3&2, watching baseball games on warm summer nights. 

Rachel is the one who spent hours with me at Abercrombie & Fitch, even though the plaid carpet made her dizzy. 

Rachel was my very first roommate.  She is the one who tolerated one year of me eating powdered coffee creamer out of the can, leaving my cheese wrappers lying around our room, and setting my alarm clock for ungodly hours.

Rachel is my Endless Love duet partner....even though she always makes me sing the boy part.

Rachel is the one who looked me in the eyes and said, "I've always thought you should be a doctor."  And when she said it, I had the confidence to do it. 

Rachel is the one who thinks that God sent a hail storm just for her, so she could collect the insurance money and buy herself a Louis Vuitton bag.

Rachel is the one I think of when I hear Aerosmith or Tom Petty on the radio.

Rachel is the one who fell in love with a boy named Travis.  And when I saw the way he looked at her tonight as they were practicing their vows, my heart was happy....because I know he is the one. 

Congratulations, my dear friend!

I'll see you in the morning, after I buy myself some waterproof mascara.