We couldn’t be more different. She is the fun-loving blonde beauty who has an adventurous spirit. I am the serious brunette who loves staying in my comfort zone. She loves all things sports, and I only endure them because my sons play. She can remember moments that happened 20 years ago, and I can’t remember what I cooked for dinner two nights ago. She bakes from scratch to put her heart and soul into her cupcakes. I start with a box because it tastes just as good, is much faster, and who will ever know, right? She loves planners and to-do lists, and I can’t find the planner she bought me this year and lose lists amid the piles of essays on my desk. She loves sour candy, and I can’t stand it. I love dogs. She is a cat person- something that still bewilders me. Yet with all the things that make us an unlikely duo, we fit perfectly into each other's lives.
It all began at work. We both taught English I Honors, and we tried to work smarter by lesson planning together. Pretty soon our conversations became less about curriculum and more about our lives. We were planning trips to the beach with our kids or how to sneak off to eat sushi without our kids. It didn’t take long to realize that we had more in common than not.
We both love Jesus with all of our hearts. We both have a heart for kids and look at teaching English and foster parenting as our mission field. We both probably need to tone down the sarcasm in the classroom, but it is what the kids know and love us for - well, most of them. We love sushi, and we both love coffee…a lot!! We both love reading and wish our busy lives allowed more of it. We both love to bake cupcakes. We love the sunshine, salty air, and tan skin - and all things summer! And all of this has made us love each other.
We have worked together now for 14 years. We don’t teach the same subject anymore, but that hasn’t changed anything. Somehow we talked the right people into giving us adjoining classrooms, which gives us lots of time together- talking, laughing, or watching each other’s classes so we can pee. When we have time off, we make sure that some of that time is spent together.
Proverbs says that “iron sharpen irons, so one person sharpens another.” Having Cari in my life has made me a better person. She is truly my BFF.
