Tina

See that person there on the right? That's my best friend Tina Bradford. I decided she would be the topic of the blog today. Why? Because she's awesome. We have a running joke that she's my wife because I can't do life without her. I mean, the kids dentist office pretty much assumed she was my partner for the first year of going there. When we would go out with the kids, people would ask her questions or speak to her as if she were my kids mom. I have to ask her what my prayer request is at bible study. She always gives a better one than I can think of. I guess I'm not broken in half but thirds, she and Ryan are my better counterparts. 

We didn't grow up together. We didn't go to high school together. We didn't even meet until four years ago. We met at a small group in our church. Ryan and I had joined the year before and for some reason when Matt and Tina came, I felt compelled to get to know her. I'm not sure why. We seemed to have zero in commen. I was a married, stay at home mom, with three little boys. She was a married twenty something, going to grad school at WashU. Her and her husband were from Alabama and weren't planning on staying in StL. She later told me she kept coming to the group telling herself, "well, I know Amanda likes me." 

The following fall I was getting ready for the craziest school year ever. This was my schedule. I knew a little from prayer time in group that Tina suffered from migraines, but not a lot more. She shared she was taking a semester off school for her health. My hubs spoke up and said, "well, if you aren't doing anything you need to come help Amanda." If I remember right her Matt agreed she should. Basically, our husbands set us up. 😉 I don't remember how it went down but for the next few months, every Thursday Tina would come hang out at my house. We would take care of kids, run errands, get starbucks. I remember a lot of driving around in my car chatting. 

And during that time something amazing happened. We got vulnerable with each other. We got real. We laid it out. The good, the bad, and the really really ugly. We realized that we had a lot in commen. Yes, we seemed like an unlikely pair, but in reality we were the same person. And in finding our common bonds we helped pull each other out of darkness. 

You see, we both suffered from pretty severe depression. Mine had gotten better over the years but still loomed. Tina's was pretty bad at the time, and just living life together made us better. It helped us laugh and be goofy. We could remind each other that God was good. That our husbands were trying hard. That people loved us and the sun was still shinning. 

We were each other's go to person. When my kid was having brain surgery, Tina was there with Starbucks and a hand to help. When her adoption process got rocky, I was there to take her out. "Only Peeta can make this one better." We just did life together, all of it. Cleaning house, grocery shopping, packing, hospitals, babies, road trips, everything. 

Tina Bradford isn't just my friend. She isn't even just my best friend. She's an extension of me. There's no replacing Tina. She isn't just dear to me, she's dear to my children and husband. After she and Matt moved to Boston, Ryan often says, "Man, when is Tina coming back?" If something is hard at home. When the kids have a success (a good grade, a picture they drew, potty training) they want to tell Tina. She is the sister I never had, the crazy aunt the boys can depend on and the person my husband trusts to help me feel better. 

Everyone needs a friend like Tina. And to think, if I would have only sought out people just like me, I would have missed the greatest friendship I will ever know. I love you Tina! 😘