The Story of Ellen...

Ellen is one of a handful of what I like to call "insta-friends." Yes. I categorize my friendships. Insta-friends are the ones that require no effort. Once they are in your life, they are your best friend. You feel like you have known them forever-and all you want to do is share your life with them more and more each day. Other categories include... "over-time friends" who required more effort, the love had to really grow into an amazing friendship. There are also "for-a-time friends" who are very special for the time that they are in your life, but they are not forever.

ANYWAY! Back to Ellen. She arrived in my life almost 3 years ago. And BAM. Insta-friend. We had things in common. We had differences. But God knew that we needed each other. So one January evening we sat in our other friend Becki's living room and cried and laughed and shared our lives together and from that moment on we were a part of each other's lives. She was the one who inspired me to get in shape-who imparted a love for running into my soul (which was a MIRACLE). She played Settlers of Catan with Corey and I-a favorite past-time. She was holding my hand through my first tattoo (and my second). She was around-for good and bad stuff, for mundane and exciting stuff.

Our time together was a little over a year. But Ellen was a transplant from Texas-with little holding her in WV (except me :). And the time came for her to go home. I have lost friends before. Some on good terms and some not. I wasn't sure if this meant that she was a for-a-time friend, and that the closeness we had would be over once she made the long trek to TX. I had not had much success in keeping in touch with friends once they were out of sight.

Lucky for me, Ellen was always around. We chat on the phone, we email. We facebook. We have not started skyping yet, but I wouldn't put it past us. In November, Corey and I (and the Taylors) travelled to Austin, and Ellen was there to hang out. And she chose WV as her vacation spot-to run the half-marathon with me and catch up. I think I can officially put her in the category of "forever-friend" now.