So reading today's title might be just a tad bit confusing, but bear with me. Before there were the "senior girls" that I talk about so often, there was another group of seniors that rarely get recognized. As freshman, the seniors embraced us, mentored us, talked and laughed with us, and above all, they set the standard for what it looks like to be godly women, and godly friends. I honestly cannot imagine our time in the high school youth group without this group of girls leading the way, so on behalf of the "baby" seniors, thank you to all the wonderful "senior seniors" who set the expectation for us!
Although I love each of the senior seniors so very much, I want to talk about of the senior seniors in particular, my dear friend/mentor Olivia Heath. Olivia and I met in a sort of round-about way, but just bear with me. My best friend's sister who was also part of the senior group at the time was studying abroad in Malaysia, and my best friend was having a difficult time with that, so these girls took it upon themselves to adopt and watch over my best friend, and in turn, me while her sister was gone. I have seen 3 years of high school classes go through the youth group, including my brothers, and I would STILL have to say that our freshman/senior class combination just had a very unique connection. It paired sisters together(my best friend Katie and her sister Laura), it paired life long friends(Kelli and I), and it took complete strangers and brought them together, and amazingly, there was very little drama! But back to Olivia, so Olivia was actually my best friend(Katie)'s sister's best friend, so it was a bit of a paradox, but we basically hit it off pretty instantly. Through the year we laughed, snacked, talked, and really learned to love each other truly as big and little sisters. One of my favorite memories of big and little sister bonding time was one night where we had all met up at Katie and Laura's and just gathered around their laptops and just watched Brian Regan, so simple, but so fun, and frankly, it made the little freshman feel super cool. ;) Olivia and I had a pretty strong connection from the get-go, we lived very close to each other, we are both very similar in personality, and we both had Van Oss's as our best friends!!! Through the summer, we spent a LOT of time together, grabbing lunch, exchanging clothes, watching movies, it really didn't matter. Livvy and I were and always will be the BEST Senior/Freshman mentor pair in the history of Blanchard, and I am forever grateful for that. But, all good things must come to an end, and that it did. Livvy left for college, and I started my sophomore year of high school, but somehow, we didn't really ever LOSE that connection that we'd had since we'd met. It is such a blessing to have a mentor, or SOMEONE(who's not your brother) to look up to when you enter youth group as a freshman, and Livvy was JUST the right person for me. She was incredibly patient with my pre-diagnosed ADHD self, but she is also very possibly the SWEETEST person I know. She loved catching up with me every week and sharing high and low points of our weeks, and it in turn, became something that I looked forward to every week.
As I began to plan my trip back home, I knew that I would get to see Kelli, my other mentor/childhood best friend, so for some reason, I assumed Livvy would be there as well. But tonight it hit me like a freight train, Livvy's not going to be there, she's at college! Of all the people I miss from home, Olivia's definitely in the top 5, so I know it's going to be hard to come home and NOT see her. I am so blessed and grateful for the mentorship/friendship/sistership that we have Livvy, you loved me and have continued to love me so well, and I can't wait to be that mentor for someone else! I miss you, I love you, and HOPEFULLY we will see each other in the general vicinity of the near future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some how, some way, some where, it's GOING to happen!!
This picture is embarrassingly old, but we're super cute, so it's worth it :)
<3 Always,
Rose
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