Person: Olivia

Olivia is my oldest friend.  We've known each other for around 18 years now (almost 80% of our lives!!!).  She's got the guaranteed spot as my maid of honor unless she does something really, really bad before then.  (So, Liv, no killing anyone or anything like that, mkay?)  

She and I are complete opposites in so many ways.  She basically doesn't sleep at night, I go to bed early.  I get up at the crack of dawn, she can sleep well past 10am.  She listens to horrible music, I listen to great music.  (kidding.. mostly.)  Olivia is like, hella fancy and always looks good, and I usually look, well, regular.  She's loud, I'm quiet.  She's got this great big family who like each other and have parties and gatherings, and I have a family that is complicated, let's say.  She is not a fan of politics, I am.  She acts her age, I act like an old lady.  We're just very different people. 

example: Liv like, "let's take a pic, it will be fun!" Char like, "can we not?"

But, I think, we totally compliment each other when we are together.  We have fun together.  Also, we are both incredibly funny.  Like, very, very funny.  

Olivia is a bit more assertive than I am, and she helps me to be like that when I need to be.  It's good, because I have very little confidence and don't always speak up for myself when I should.  So tg for Liv, you know? 

We grew up in sort of rough circumstances.  This one woman down the street used to actually call us (and our other friends) names because she didn't like our parents and we didn't have money.  And I sort of wish that lady was still living in the neighborhood and could see that Olivia went to school to become a sort of medical person (I don't know the technical things, but I mean, she gets to wear scrubs), and that she works in a doctor's office and is responsible and helps sick little kids all day.  In other words, I wish she could see that Olivia is: 

and resilient and accomplished and NOT a snooty tooty a-hole.  You know, not the kind of person who makes fun of poor kids.  

She's always been outspoken and between the two of us she was the bossier one, but also the one who had a lot of the fun ideas.  And also the bad ideas, like having a fight with stuffed animals that had batteries in them aka were capable of giving bloody noses if hit in the right way.  A house was built in our neighborhood (in my backyard, actually) and we used to go in the house when the construction crews left.  Trespassing.  But so much fun.  Her dad built a fort in their backyard and I remember just hanging out in there in cooler weather and on top of it in warmer weather (because Olivia thought tanning burning was a good idea).  

Her family treats me like family.  She helps me out when I need it and I'm pretty confident she'd do anything for me.  (It's mutual, Oliver.  I gotchyu.)  I mean, the girl shared her bed with me when I had nowhere else to really go.  

I dread/cannot wait until we have kids.  I say dread because like, she's going to be the aunt that thinks it's a good idea to go swimming in a storm or some shit and I'll be worried, but I think that my kids will end up having a good relationship with her and hers with me.  It'll be sweet.  

As for dreams, Olivia wants to...... own horses.  And one day she will.  Because she hesitates for a little while (mostly because she worries about the people around her), but when it comes down to it she does what she needs/wants to.  

I keep trying to get her to move to Albany so we can live out our childhood dream of living together.

She just sent me a message asking me when this post will be published, so maybe I should wrap it up?  

She is that friend where we can go months/years without seeing each other (but let's not, okay?) and we'd pick up right from the start.  She kind of feels like part of me more than a friend.  I constantly doubt myself and my ability to like, keep people in my life, but I have never had a doubt about Olivia.  She and I are going to be in each other's lives, annoying and enriching one another, until one of us dies.  And even then, we'll probably haunt each other.  

18 years and counting. 

xoxo. 

__

Charlotte