Life Lesson #80 ~ Soul Sisters

“She’s my confidant, my joy, my private dairy, my strength. She’s my soul sister.” That’s exactly what I have in my dearest and closest friend Shawna. We all have best friends; they are the people we can’t do life without. We share our families, our time and our joys with them. They are family through and through and no one can take their place in our lives. There’s that one friend though, maybe two if you're really blessed as I am. Not to the exclusion of your best friends,  this kindred is simply a soul friend, a sister, a brother, something almost beyond words, a relationship altogether different from any of the others. Now speaking as a woman, finding your soul sister is a pretty remarkable thing. It’s best described as looking into a perfect mirror image of our own soul. You are not in any way sisters by blood; instead it’s almost as God created your souls as a whole, then split it into two separate, distinct, beautiful and rare but connected pieces before sending each piece into the world.  I can just imagine Him holding our joined souls in His hands knowing two would stronger together than one. Pretty much He purposely split our souls and then rejoined them in His perfect timing. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 gives us this insight, “Two are better than one …for if they fall, one will lift up the other.” That’s exactly why she’s my soul sister. I seriously can’t remember a moment when she wasn’t there for me.

See Shawna is my other half. She was the missing piece of my soul. She’s absolutely the one person who totally gets me, never judging me.  Sure we've had our moments over the last 20 years but Shawna accepts who I am, hair brained ideas, kit, caboodle and all. I never have to explain myself to her. Shawna is selfless; she never gives expecting anything in return. I’m the feisty redhead and yes she’s most definitely the beautiful blond, together we are two peas in a pod. She’s my prayer warrior, my accountability buddy, my partner in crime and absolutely the best part of who I am. She shares in my craziness, silliness and goofiness.  Shawna has my back in good times and bad, completely taking part in my happiness and in my sadness too. When the load is too heavy Shawna carries the burden with me as well as for me sometimes. “We might not share the same blood but we share the same thoughts, the same tears, the same laughter and the same love for each other.” In fact there isn’t much of anything we don’t share I suppose. We know how to listen to one another, and not just by being quiet either. We can be tough and still be kind to each other at the same time.  I personally think scripture hints at these kinds of soul friends. “There are friends who are friends, and there is a friend that is closer than a brother.” That’s what Proverbs 18: 2 says. And this is exactly what a soul sister is, closer than a brother, closer than a sister.

Life Lesson #80 ~ Soul Sisters, aren’t the sisters God forgot to give us, instead they are the pieces of our own soul He’s rejoined together. I cannot see my life without her nor would I want to. I never want to take her for granted, stand in judgment or feel I am better than her. I know without Shawna’s presence in my life I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. I love that she calls my parents “mom and dad” and that my children call her “Aunt Shawna.” She is far too young to be a grandma in my book, but she is. Shawna is beautiful both in her features and in spirit. I could not ask for a closer friend, a sweeter sister or a kinder kindred soul mate. The connection we share as soul sisters has been forged by fire through the years, by the passing of time and the strength of our faith. Spending the day with her is a gift; hearing from her is always a blessing and knowing her is indescribable.  No one and I mean no one could ever replace her; no one else could even come close. I am reminded of the connection we share every time I hear the song You’ve Got a Friend in Me, these lyrics especially grab me. “Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am, bigger and stronger too maybe. But none of them will ever love you the way I do, it's me and you.” (Randy Newman)  And yes, I do love you my friend, to infinity and beyond.

So I say to you, take the time to appreciate those friends who are more than a brother or a sister. Take a moment to acknowledge those who love you. Value your best friends, your soul mates and let them know how important they truly are in your life. Personally, I’m thankful for this amazing friendship and for the connection my soul shares with Shawna. Yes, she’s my soul sister, “we are dreamers, doers and believers in girl power. We’re beauty mavericks, secret sharers, and the ultimate support system. We follow our hearts and give like there’s no tomorrow because we’re sisters. Bound by beliefs, inspired by dreams and whether we’re sharing stories or things we love, we make sure our lights shine.” Thank you my beautiful, sweet friend for being my soul sister. My light shines so much brighter because of you.

~Christina