Sometimes you meet people in your life who become very close friends. And sometimes, they become so close you consider them family. I'm sure every single person who reads this knows what I'm talking about. In the case of this woman... I'm extremely fortunate because she really is my family. And one of my best friends in the entire world.
Robin remembers more things about our childhood than I do. She tells me stories of things that happened when we were younger. Especially things that meant a lot to her. I don't remember everything, but I do remember certain things.
I remember thinking Robin was an outsider. All of the kids had a sibling they were close to. But Robin never seemed to fit in to any group forming in the family. That may not be how she remembers it, but it's how I remember being drawn to her. I hated that in a family full of people, she was alone like I felt. And I made it my mission to get close to her.
She was my friend all through school and afterward. Even though sometimes we wouldn't talk for months, we'd get back in touch and it was like we hadn't been apart at all. I spend more time with her than any other family member, so it's only natural I feel a special bond to her family.
Now let me tell you some things I admire about this woman... Robin is fiercely loyal to the people she loves. She's been a scrapper her whole life and I've never known a girl more ready to throw down if someone she loved was threatened. She's protective to a fault. I love that she loves people so deeply. It makes me feel valued and cared for. It can also be scary if you're not used to it. But I am, and I find it a quality I love in her.
She's passionate about what she does. She approaches a project with her whole heart and won't stop until she's achieved her goal. She's baked cookies for the entire primary. And not just little sugar cookies, we're talking three layer, bear cookies.
Her capacity for love is unmatched. It makes her complicated and challenging. I've never told her this, but I've always looked for a mate who shares these qualities with her. She has just the right blend of complexity, crazy and love.
She's smart and can see through people fairly quickly. I've noticed she's trying to avoid using that skill so much these days. She's trying to look at people more compassionately and even that is admirable. But deep down, she knows when she's being played.
Fact is, even if (for some strange reason) I ended up not talking to my whole family, Robin and I would still be in touch. Our friendship is sick and eternal. And sadly for her, genetic.
