A bittersweet farewell.

"Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same."
-- Flavia Weedn

That quote is so cheesy and ridiculous, but so right.
Today I said "see ya later" to a person that has left some serious footprints on my heart.

We may have only met 3 years ago, but in those 3 years we have made some of my favorite and not so favorite memories. If you ever witnessed Kristy/Jackie interactions, you may have felt uncomfortable, confused or a warm fuzzy feeling (or maybe all 3 over the course of one interaction.)
It's true that were meant to be in each other's lives, and it's true that we thought that meant we were meant to be together. Turns out that was the opposite of the right answer.

From the moment I met Kristy, I knew that we were kindred spirits. We have the same sense of humor, about the most ridiculous things. We both have judgy bitchfaces. We enjoy many of the same things and share the same opinions on many things. All of these things pointed to us being "soul mates" so we tried dating...it was not what we were expecting and it definitely was not a match made in heaven. So then we thought we would just be best friends instead, and after a couple rocky spells, we found the balance needed to be just friends with no bullshit. We found out the hard way that most of the time we share the same opinions, but when we disagree, it can get ugly fast.

I am so glad we put the bullshit behind us and came out on the other side as good friends. Kristy and I are both sarcastic assholes, but when it comes to each other's wellbeing, we get serious. Whenever we had a disagreement over the last few years, it always came down to me saying "Kristy, I just want you to be happy." The 2 questions I ask myself in tough situations (Are you happy? Is it healthy?) came from Kristy/Jackie interactions. To this day we ask each other those questions, and genuinely care what the answers are.

When Kelly came into Kristy's life, I knew it was different. She has a good head on her shoulders and Kristy's head is in a good place. Lovestruck Kristy came to me and gushed over her trip, and I immediately had 2 trains of thought. Protective and practical Jackie spoke first and made sure that the decisions being made were not out of haste and that she had really thought them through. We talked about logistical questions, we talked about goals. Then, supportive and loving Jackie took over and told Kristy that all I have ever wanted was for her to be healthy and happy. I can tell that this relationship and this move come from a healthy and happy place in Kristy, and that's really all I can ask for. Yes, it's unfortunate that this move comes when we are finally at a place in our friendship where we are healthy and happy. Yes, I got a little teary about it. More than anything though, I am genuinely happy for my friend and this new adventure she embarked on today.

To Kelly,
I enjoyed getting to meet you after hearing so much about you. I can tell that you care about Kristy and you are a quality person. Nurture her happiness, keep her on her toes and don't let her get away with any bullshit. Since you are taking her away, I will have to take over the pen pal role and I'm counting on you to keep her in check. Trish and I gave you a little preview at breakfast this morning, sometimes you just have to give her a little push and say "What Kristy meant to say was...." She is one of a kind and there may never be a dull moment with her around. If you ever need to vent, you just give me a call, I get it!

To both of you,
Safe travels, have fun and be in love. Best of luck to you as you start this new adventure!