LYLAS

So there are two people in my life who can no longer avoid recognition: my sisters. You may say, "But, Emily, you don't have any sisters" and that's where you would be wrong.

Over time, I've discovered that there are many different layers to friendship. When you meet someone, they jump to a certain level and continue to either work their way up or down on the friendship scale. Rarely, you find someone who continues to attain new levels of friendship until you can no longer just describe them as your best friend, but your family - your life would not be complete without them, and neither would your soul. I am lucky enough to have found two people who have attained this level in my life, and maintained it for as long as I can remember. I was born with a brother, but within the first few years of my life, I found my sisters.

These two ladies are commonly known as Amanda and Casey, to me they're Panda and Casers and they are my sisters and I love them more than words. 

The three of us met when we were in preschool. That sounds absolutely ridiculous, how can anyone be friends since preschool... well, when you're soul mates, it's meant to be. So here's a really crappy picture of us when we first met:

I'm the third from the left in back, Amanda is second from the left in the middle and Case is third from the right in back.

We have been together since the Bowl Cut Days; now THAT means something. We've stuck together like glue through bad hair cuts, braces, acne, boyfriends, bad decisions, good times and bad. It's been seventeen years, and we're still together. 

These are two of the very few people in this world that I can know for sure that I will always be able to count on for anything. It honestly doesn't matter how much time goes by between times that we talk, when we get together, it's like we saw each other yesterday - that's why we're like sisters. All three of us know that, if ever there's a need, we will be there for one another.

Things are definitely different now: Casey's getting married, I live a hundred miles away, and Amanda's constantly on the go, so it's hard to get together. But I know that it doesn't matter. We ARE together, all the time in spirit, because I know part of me is with them every day (as incredibly corny as that sounds).

Loads of people are born with sisters. Casey and Amanda, in fact, both have sisters. I always wondered what it would be like to have one. But to be perfectly honest, I think I've always known what it's like, if not something better. Normal sisters fight, we never have... in seventeen years. That's not normal! So I suppose I have something even greater than sisters and I've gotta say, it's pretty incredible.

I hope everyone has friends like these two. Now, this is not to say that I don't have other best friends in my world, but these two have just been around FOREVER and deserve to be put up on a lovely blogging pedestal for that. I'm really not sure where I would be without them. It's a little scary to think about. But we are fabulous, and have been keepin' it fresh since 1994 and will continue to do so. So now A song comes to mind... I think it's also worth sharing, as it is a classic - and describes our friendship perfectly.

Enjoy

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Nothin' can keep me from gettin' to you girls!