This was what I wrote for the funeral, although I couldn’t read it myself. I’m not a very good public speaker when I’m emotional. As time passes, there will be other memories shared, but this will be a good jumping off point.
Wendy and I were, as she would say, best friends “from the womb”. There isn’t a moment in my life that she isn’t vividly a part of. From the moment we stepped into Mrs. DeeDee’s Thursday School class, at Carriage Hills, we were together. We were opposites – she was the pretty, dark-haired cheerleader that lived life at full throttle; I was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed “Type A” athlete. Despite our differences, we formed a bond over dance parties, junk food, Auburn football and our love of 90s rap – which are, as we all know, the pillars of a solid relationship.
We experienced all the big “firsts” together – slumber parties, girl drama, braces, office referrals, and dances (not on ACA property, of course). Sneaking out, getting caught sneaking out, first loves, first heartbreaks…even a run-in or two with Montgomery’s Finest (sorry, parents). As we navigated through the complicated nuances of childhood and into adulthood, she was steady and never wavered. I never questioned whether she would be there – she just was.
Wendy made me laugh – at her, at me, at whatever was happening around us. I never knew what was going to come out of her mouth and that’s what I loved about her. She would say the things we were all thinking without hesitation. I’d look around to see if anyone heard her, shush her, stifle a smile and she would just shrug, throw her head back and laugh and respond, “Well, it’s true!”
We were side by side as we celebrated the highs of life – marriage, the birth of our babies and were even baptized together on the same day. We also leaned on the each other through the times in life that bring you to your knees – the painful collapse of relationships and the untimely death of a child.
As I looked through old yearbooks and notes passed between us, she would always say “I love ‘My Hayley’”. Through texts and voicemails, I was “her” Hayley. She loved me and made sure I knew it. Our friendship was special and one of the joys of my life.
“My Wendy” – I love you, I miss you, and I’m so glad that I’ll hug your neck again someday.
