"The person we all love and appreciate is the one who's coming in the door when everybody else is going out."
~Mason Canon
As I sit down today to write my daily post I flipped open my Gratitude book to this page. Isn't it ironic that this particular quote landed exactly on my Best Friend's birthday? Today I would like to honor my best friend in the whole world, Kate Beasley. A few days ago I talked about all my roommates, but I wanted to go a little more in depth about Kate and our story as friends. Kate and I have known each other since we were just little girls in primary.
We grew up together but didn't come close until about my Junior Year of High School. I wasn't always the nicest girl to Kate growing up because of jealously issues and being prideful, but Kate has always been so sweet and has always reached out to me. Well my Junior year I was going through a rough time of life. I was trying to figure out who I was and I wasn't surrounding myself with very positive people that supported me. I had an awesome group of guy friends who loved and supported me throughout but I was missing those really amazing girlfriends that I had always dreamed of having like my older sisters. 
I had a little bit of a falling out with a few of my girl friends and just knew I had to figure something else out. I needed friends to lean on and friends that would love and support me in anything I did. Kate, Tiff, Sara and I started gradually hanging out more and more. I just loved the way I felt when I was surrounded by these girls. They would build me up and there was no such thing as competition between us. We just simply had fun together and we could talk about more serious things without being judged for being different. I was so sick of being in cookie cutter relationships and I had finally escaped that. These girls were literally the answer to my prayers. For over two years there weren't many days I didn't go home everyday in tears wishing that I could just have good friends. I was overwhelmed with joy and humbled by the love these girls showed for me as they welcomed me into their friendship group. When I felt completely and utterly alone, these girls stepped in and were there for me. Right when I felt like everyone had walked out on me, they were there.Well as time went on we spent everyday together. The day finally came that I was to graduate from High School. I was so excited to move on from High School, as I think most are, but it was slowly becoming real to me that my girls were still going to be in High School (because they are all a year younger than me)and I was going to be far away at college. I knew that I was supposed to go to Southern Utah University way down in Cedar City and I didn't know how I was going to live without them. That summer Kate and I got even closer. Tiff was in Peru and so it was just the two of us for the Summer.We spent everyday day together and sleepovers every night was a must.
Our relationship and friendship grew so much over that summer. Going away to college was hard but I knew that it was what I needed to do and that we would stay in close contact. Kate has always been there for me. Even though I was hundreds of miles away, anytime ANYTHING happened she was the first person I would call and I was the first person she would call. That was just how it was. Breaks from school were always anticipated so I could go home and spend the weekends with her and Tiff. As my first year of college came to a close, I was trying to figure out what to do for the summer. I really wanted to be able to be with Tiff and Kate over the summer but realized there was no way that I could move back home and be back in Kamas the summer after I graduated. I needed to get far away from everyone and everything. Through lots of praying and fasting, I decided to move out to California and spend the summer working and living with my sister Melanie. The thought of being away from Kate for 3 more months of my life wasn't my favorite thought but I knew we could do it, especially when I knew that we were going to be roommates in the Fall! Kate had planned on going to Snow. Through fasting and prayer again, Kate received the answer she was supposed to come to SUU, I wasn't about to argue with that. So even though we were going to be apart for the summer, it was okay because we held on to the fact that we were going to be able to be together that Fall.
The summer started off on a rough foot. I moved home for the month of May so I could be in Utah for Kate and Tiff's graduation and my niece Tessi's wedding. Being back in Kamas was hard but I was happy I could be there for these important events. I moved out to California the first week of June. I was really lonely and had no friends for the first couple of weeks.
My work training wasn't starting for a few weeks so I spent most of my days with my sister and her cute family but I missed being around people my age. Kate and I would Skype every night and I would just cry to her about how I wanted to come home and how much I missed her. That summer quickly turned into one of the best summers of my life quickly. I missed Kate but I realized that I was supposed to be out there having these amazing experiences. I was sad to see the summer go but excited to be with Kate again and to be rooming with her in the coming year. Which brings me to this last year of our relationship thus far.
This year has been one of the best, most challenging years of my life as I have mentioned MANY times before this. I apologize for mentioning it so many times, but this time of my life has really shaped me to be the person I am today. I have just learned so much about myself and about life this past year. Anyway, moving down to school was bitter-sweet, as many things have been this past year. I was so excited to be with my roommates again with the addition of my best friend this time, but I was leaving the man that I had fallen in love with. We were going to be on opposite ends of the state and I knew that it was going to be challenging but we were going to try and make it work.
Anyway, it was so good to be back with Kate. Last semester I was thinking about transferring up to Utah State and that was a scary thought for Kate and I. We didn't like the sounds of being far away from each other again but if that was what needed to happen, Kate was more than willing to support me in that. Well plans changed and I ended up staying. I was going through probably one of the hardest trials of my life. I had never been so heartbroken, confused, depressed and discouraged in my whole life.
Kate has been there for me every step of the way through this whole healing process. She has always had faith in me that I would pull out of this and be okay. All the sleepless nights of just letting me talk, and listening to me like broken record, she has been there for me. Kate is the definition of a true friend. I can honestly say that I don't think that I would still be in Cedar going to school right now if she wasn't here by my side cheering me on day in and day out. There have been times I have just wanted to give up, but she won't let me, and I can't thank her enough for that. Life has taken it's course and I will actually be transferring up to Utah State next Fall. This was anticipated to eventually happen, but I didn't realize it was going to be so soon. Even though Kate and I will be so far apart, I know that she will still be there for me and I will still be there for her. "Nothing changes" is what we always say.
Thank you Kate for always being there for me. You have helped me see the potential I can become and you have given me hope to get through these past few years. I love you so much and could never thank you enough for the memories and just for everything you have done for me. I am so blessed to have you in my life and I thank my father in heaven everyday that you are. I don't know why I was blessed enough to get you as a best friend but I know that it was for a purpose. Heavenly Father knew I couldn't do this whole life thing without you, so I appreciate you in my life. Happy Birthday today. I am so grateful for your parents for bringing such an amazing daughter of god into this world so that I could be blessed by you, as many are. You are amazing and you touch the lives of so many. Thank you for your example and for your ongoing love and concern for me. You're simply the best and I love you lots!
Can't express enough thanks,
Merilee
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