25, you were one of the best and I loved you fiercly.
We're now on the downhill side to 30.
26, you've got a lot to live up to.
And here are 25 long overdue thank yous for this past year...
To my mom for being ridiculously proud of me every.single.day for 26 years which I didn't even know was possible.
To Carling for being my friend through every nonsense drunk & anxious text I send her whether it is at 11 p.m. or 5 a.m. and for letting me be my most honest, raw self and still loving me.
To my brother for forcing me to face head on all my beliefs about mental illness, family, and for teaching me that believing in someone fiercly despite the obvious is still worth it.
To my grandpa, who I miss every day, who taught me that I am beautiful & smart and that curiosity shouldn't be given up on.
To my sister for letting me be absolutely ridiculous and knowing how to throw an epic dance party and most of all, being the only one who really understands where I come from.
To Laura for the books, dvds, & the pursuit of a better life with less bullshit. To K for lunchiez, talking to me all day everyday, and teaching me how to grow the fuck up graciously. To Bekah for teaching me to love my body the way it is, unlimited margaritas, & for demonstrating intense wild bravery about life. To Casey for showing me that there are actually still people out there who are geniunely nice & good. To Megan for being my walking partner, lunch buddy, & helping me get through the daily grind.
To Taryn for supporting me as I did one of the scariest things in my life, reminding me of all the good times, & being there through text message for any crazy shitshow I go through.
To C for convincing me that I am not crazy and being the thing I needed to move forward and see myself more clearly.
To Gina for finding the prettiest shade of brown for my hair. To my boss for being an amazing female example, super honest, & challenging me. To Patricia for always fucking smiling & being someone who actually makes going to work fun. To Brad for being the best to my mom & the nicest to our family. To Evan for being the best to my sister & for always being up for a fun time.
To Ben Affleck for having the best beard & making the best movies. To Pandora for having stations like "drunk dance party" & "crying in the bathtub with wine." To the lovely people I follow on Twitter that make me laugh, chuckle, and realize I'm not the only confused 20something female who drinks a lot.
To H for being someone to violently and painfully end my destructive behavior and forcing me to move forward to my future happier life. To E for teaching me about having a better attitude, trying harder, & asking better questions.
To my cat, Mr. Riggins, for not actually murdering me, giving me the best morning snuggles, and for helping me not feel like I'm alone in an apartment in the city.
To M, for saving my life when I couldn't save myself, teaching me the meaning of standing the fuck up for myself, and being the propelling force that got me from A to B.
To J for being the most compassionate, reminding me to always calm the hell down, being on my team, loving me, and being the frying pan to my bacon. You are my wonderwall.
