"All of us will be tested. And all of us need true friends to love us, to listen to us, to show us the way, and to testify of truth to us so that we may retain the companionship of the Holy Ghost. You must be such a true friend."- President Henry B. Eyring

Well this is it. Today marks a very special moment in my life: the day I met my friend Michal Christine Savage. I like to refer to it as a friendiversary because that's precious. Anyways, three years ago today, I was stressed out of my mind, dealing with a cold, starting a new job, finishing my first semester of college AND freaking out about how I wouldn't see my family on my birthday. And now, I'm leaving for Canada today because she's getting married to the love of her life tomorrow! Funny how much has changed in three years!  I just wanted to take a moment to tell everyone why I love Michal, but how do you express in words when someone changes your life? When I met Michal, I was very fragile. Coming to BYU was a lot rougher than I expected to be, but Michal has helped me through every experience I've had here. 

So why do I love Michal? Well there are oodles of reasons, but I'll break it down in simplified version: 

• She was my first true friend. I've had lots of best friends, but Michal was different. I jokingly call her my substitute spouse. True friends leave their really important accounting final early so they can drive you to the airport. They come rescue you when you get in your first ever fight with a roommate. They learn your love language and write you letters. They let you cry over the SAME boy for three years straight without complaining. True friends rejoice in your successes and personally feel your sorrows. 
• She taught me how to love the Book of Mormon. Seriously, I've never met someone who loves that scripture as much as she does. She also loves the gospel. 
• How she knows me so well that I can be listening to a song or wearing a certain color of clothing and know exactly who I am thinking about/feeling. (i.e. that when I'm wearing purple, I'm feeling confident. And if I'm listening to Taylor Swift or the song "At Last," then I'm thinking about one particular person). 
• She completely understands my love language. Like the time she wrote this blog post when she went to Canada on my birthday last year! :) (And how she knows that to cure anything, I pretty much need a cupcake or Subway sandwich).
• She is the world's most compassionate person. She treats everyone like an individual and will spend hours talking to someone she barely knows AND then remembers everything they say. She's the person that, after meeting her for the first time, you instantly want to become best friends with because she is so genuine. (This is a woman who remembered to wish me a happy half birthday. Now do you believe me?) 
• She reminds me how fabulous I am when I've forgotten, just like this quote: “Our friends have a way of reminding us of how fabulous we are when the rest of the world has forgotten.” 
  ― Mandy Hale

My favorite memories of Michal: 

• That one time I told her that her face reminded me of the world's ugliest dog and she still loved me. 
• The time we wrote this letter to Danny like it was no big deal... and then we mailed it to him... and she didn't think it was weird. 

My handwriting was black and hers was blue.

• Blaring "You Belong With Me" after completing hard projects (but actually every Friday)
• Our friendship song: 

• That time when we were walking across the street and I almost got hit by a car and screamed something totes inappropes.... and she still loves me!
• Her sitting on my lap on the bus after she broke her arm. 
• Making homemade pizza and watching Swan Princess.
• The time I found out my flight to New York was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy, so she took me to "New York" by having a sleep over. 
• Finishing a horrendous CIS project at work and partying like it was 1999. 
• Writing Friday sonnets. 
• Posting music videos on her wall without screening them first. 
• Our S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y. club 
• Writing to each other on Google + because a. we thought people were sick of us on Facebook and b. for some reason, we thought no one read them. 
• When we took two classes together (even though they were SUPER boring) and she once forgot to give her work keys back to Debbie. 

I mean look at how precious our friendship is: (Also note how I am ALWAYS on the right side haha) 

I found this quote and loved it: 

"In Friendship… we think we have chosen our peer. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another… the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting- any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances.

A secret Master of Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another.” The Friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of others.” –C.S. Lewis

I am so thankful that  my "secret Master of Ceremonies" worked is so I could be friends with her. So Michal, thanks for the three years of heartaches, boy trouble, parent problems, celebrations, completing projects and growing together emotionally and spiritually. I LOVE YOU! I cannot wait for you to marry Mike! He's a very lucky man! You two, I am sure, are a match made in heaven. :)