Bracelet #824210213636
From the very first moment I spoke with Jenny Ritter, I decided I wanted to be her friend. Adult friendships, I’ve learned, are very similar to Kindergarten friendships and so I made the move after just a few brief conversations. “Hey, ya wanna be my friend? I really like you.” And thus, it began.
As I began to get to know Jenny better, I was astounded at her wide circle of friends, but inspired and moved as I listened to her talk about her late best friend and the closeness that they shared. Throughout my life, I have had many incredible friends, but sadly many have not withstood the test of time. Many ended due to my many moves, others due to growing apart, some simply fell away without much recognition. My mother has a best friend that she’s had for 36 years and I’ve yearned for that closeness my whole life.
Jenny is the type of woman that every woman needs in her life. She is kindness and grace and selflessness. She is hope and love and fun fun fun! She understands that friendships take work and is willing to put in the time. I remember the first time she texted me on a weekend just to see how I was doing. Unfortunately, being in the midst of raising 2 toddlers, I had lost that incentive, had forgotten how much it means to reach out just because. How easy it is to put in the time for those that you care about.
We fell quickly into the easiness of a friendship I felt I had had far longer than the mere school year we have known each other. She has become the person I tell nearly everything to, the model of contemporary motherhood I aspire to, the hug that has made me feel better on the darkest of days. She has given me so very much. She has taught me, or rather re-taught me, what a friendship should look like, should feel like.
My mother has always been my biggest inspiration, the woman to whom I owe it all. She gifted me this bracelet, this tangible web of beauty and inspiration, at Christmas and urged me to take my time finding the person I wanted to share our story with next. I feel so blessed to have Jenny in my life and I know that she will cherish her part in this chain of inspiration and will undoubtedly pass it on to the most deserving of people. Thank you, dear friend, for the gift of you. I am a better person for knowing you and loving you.
Always,
Katie