[12-18 EDIT: In the hilarious and ridiculous department... just kidding! I'm usually pretty great with remembering dates, so people just assume that I'm right and don't think too hard about it. Chet texted me something about being glad I got stuck with the new people (him and Sarah) at the New Year's Eve party, and it got me thinking. I had wanted Laura in my group because she didn't know many people, but I didn't meet her till November 2008 (the election making that one super clear and memorable). I also thought earlier about what we might be doing for Chet's 30th birthday this year, which would mean his 21st birthday was in July 2009, months after meeting him in December 2008. So between that and checking my old emails for the LG Christmas party (12-17-08) and realizing I wrote a 7-year Friendiversary post two years ago, I am definitely a year ahead in celebrating 10 years! lolol So I moved to Tulsa in 2007, had 6 months with Josh and co., a year with the Changie group and Mark & Natalie, THEN met Chet Lee in December of '08. My life timeline makes so much more sense this way. So yeah, I'm considering all of this a practice run. ;) The tribute stuff all stands, so I'll have a Tinfinity celebration of some sort next December. Then I'll copy and paste and repost this again next year, with an updated Flipagram of course. lol]
Get excited!! Today marks 10 9 years of friendship with Chet Lee Wilson, and I'm feeling all the nostalgia and love and thankfulness! ❤
I came to FBC's 8:30 service this morning (take a moment to be impressed that I woke up that early). I wanted a Friendiversary pic, and Karli noticed the cute n' cozy fireplace... but it was occupied, so I was looking for another good photo spot... whilst Chettles just walked right over and asked the people sitting by the fireplace if they would get up and move for a minute so we could get a picture there. =) His willingness to do little stuff like that is one of the many reasons I'm such a fan of him! lol
Here's a happy slideshow that barely begins to cover 10 years of awesome memories. ❤ There were great trips to OKC, Pops, Talequah, Joplin, Big Cedar, NYC, Florida, and Vegas!! As well as tons of fun memories right here at home, from all the Diving Deeper Lifegroup days to dancing at the Caravan to tea room lunches, farmhouse bonfires, Friendsgiving traditions, and Friday night dinners! (...I had to make this Flipagram without the aid of Facebook, but it still turned out pretty good.)
Without further ado, going along with the TEN theme, here's my
Top 10 Reasons Everyone Needs a Friend Like Chet!
- That whole "speak the truth in love" command... he does that better than anyone I know! He is willing to be direct and call people out when needed, but he is able to confront things tactfully, reminding you of the good things he knows to be true about you while pulling you up higher and leading you away from things that are damaging to your heart, reputation, and/or future. No one enjoys being called out, but when it's coming from a place of love and genuine concern for you, that makes all the difference. He jokingly says he's the friend you need, but not the friend you want, but for people who genuinely desire to grow and come up higher, he is definitely both!
- Dependable and helpful... His yes means yes and his no means no - if he commits to something, you can count on him to be there (and to be on time and be the life of the party and probably help out with cleanup)! =) He is great about helping his close friends, especially this single girl who fears the outdoors 75% of the year. lol He has planted flowers, trimmed trees, killed bugs, helped to acid wash and paint my garage, repaired the fence, not to mention moving furniture, washing dishes, taking out the trash, and helping me take the girlfranz on their first walk! lol
- Laughter... He's one of my funniest and most quotable friends, as anyone who's read this blog for a while would know, especially when hanging out with Jeffrey Edward! =) Just his facial expressions will crack me right up! ...He sometimes tells me, "It's only as awkward as you make it" - lol - but I think he's got a natural gift for making people feel comfortable - you can count on him to lighten the mood or to speak up with a fun story and keep things from getting awkward!
- He is #Bold... (And not just because he's taken the Keller-Williams BOLD class about 20 times now. lol) He's a natural leader and has the courage to step up in areas where many guys are frustratingly passive. He's great at making new friends and weaving new people into the friend group, and good at setting boundaries and having the difficult carefrontation talks with his closer friends when needed!
- He's all about the birthday celebrations! =) His birthday is a much-anticipated, high priority event, so plan your summer calendar accordingly. lol He will go all out to make his friends feel special on their birthdays, as well! The Wilsons hosted my Jesus Year party at the Farmhouse, and it's one of my favorite memories!
- Refreshing logic... at one point, when my compassion was getting the best of me and I was about to make a costly, emotion-led decision to help a lifegroup friend I didn't really know that well, he told me something I've remembered and thought about often since then... that this person was a "B-Team friend" for me, and that she had her own close inner circle of friends who would help take care of her (which was true), and basically, to use wisdom and invest most of my heart and energy in my A-Team friendships, the close inner circle of people where I've really established a foundation and connection. It just made a lot of sense and has helped me in evaluating other situations since then. And I'm thankful that Chettles is an A-Team friend! lol
- Spiritual maturity... (I saved that for #7 because I'm cheesy like that). He loves Jesus and takes God's Word seriously, and he has a strong sense of discretion and surrounds himself with people who do the same. He is someone who is consistently learning and growing in his walk with God, and he encourages and sharpens the people around him!
- Trustworthy and Loyal... massively important and rare qualities these days. He's a fun and talkative extrovert, but he's also a great listener. I trust that his heart toward me is good and that our friendship is solid. Trust was more of a struggle in the past, so I completely appreciate that he will look you right in the eyes and say it out loud: "I want you to know we care about you and we are here for you. We'll do whatever we can to help you get through this, and we're not going anywhere." (That was at dinner with him and Karli about a month after the 2013 email, and it was just a ray of light and comforting truth in the midst of the darkness and fear I was feeling.)
- Supportive... Despite his failure to be sunny and bubbly and encouraging to JEM during some of their crazy early morning workouts ;) -- he believes in his friends and makes it clear that they matter to him. He notices and cares, and he encourages them to stand up for themselves when they're being treated unfairly. He said something recently to me about how my future should not be discounted based on where I am now, and it was super meaningful to me. Support and encouragement are always great, but it means a bit more when it's coming from someone who knows you really well and holds unwavering belief in your value and potential!
- One of a kind... I said that everyone needs a friend like him, but there's really only one Chettles! lol I love his whole family, too, and I'm super excited for him and Karli as they're about to have a baby. #birthdaybuddies I have no doubt he'll make a fantastic Dad and Karli will be a wonderful Mom!!
HAPPY TINFINITY FRIENDIVERSARY, CHET LEE!! =)
I'm very thankful to call you my friend (and a faithful blog reader - hooray)!! ❤
*Post title from New Girl's Tinfinity episode, where Nick and Schmidt (both among my all-time favorite TV characters) celebrate their 10-year friendiversary. =) ...I would've gone with the Tenfinity spelling myself, but I'll defer to Schmidty on this one. lol
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