My Best Friend's Wedding

Yesterday my best friend Diana got married. She married Scott Toronto in the Salt Lake Temple at 2:20 pm.
I've had a ton of friends get married, and even some friends I would consider to be besties, but this - this is legit. The happiness and joy, and the heartbreak and emptiness that I feel are all so strong I feel like my sternum should be ripping in two.
When I met Diana, I knew immediately that we were going to be friends, and we were going to be close - before I even talked to her. It was one of those moments that people often confuse for love at first sight, I guess. She didn't feel the same way, because she thought I was socially awkward, which is true. I am either too shy or too open, with relatively little middle ground, but somehow Diana got over it. Probably because we are perfect for each other. Our friendship isn't one where we are best friends by choice or by long association - we are best friends because we need to be. We don't have to work at all to understand each other or have twelve hour conversations or find something to do when we're together. The friendship just is, and always has been, since before man reconized time.
Here are the reasons why Diana is my best best friend:
1. Culture: Trying out and learning things from people all over the world is one of my most favorite things to do. And sometimes it is hard to find people who want to do it with me, but I never had that problem with Diana.
A. Food
Diana and I soon discovered that we both love bratwurst and virgin margaritas. That's where it started. We had a "Brat, Marg, and Moulin Rouge" night. Then we started having fine wine and cheese nights (where we'd find all the different delicious kinds of cheese we could in Rexburg), Thai food, German food after I got home from Germany, and of course, olive oil and balsalmic vinegar were staples of our diets. Mostly we love cheese and anything with cheese on it or in it was a green light. The best were our St. Patrick's Day celebrations with corned beef, red potatoes, and cabbage, and naturally, the divinity of Irish Aged Cheddar.
B. Music
Another thing Diana and I liked to do together was go to concerts. We both love classical and choral music, and grew up surrounded in it, so we liked to attend the events that BYU-Idaho has to offer. And we both love dance concerts as well, so we were often frequenters of Extravadance and whatever else we could get our hands on. Not only were we concert goers, but we were also concert givers. Late at night we'd entertain our other roommates with a few girl power favorites from Bonnie Tyler and the occasional Celine Dion. We'd also entertain each other by power stancing in bed. ;)
C. Myths and Legends
I think this was more of my nerdiness than Diana's but she didn't get annoyed or bored with it. I'd always be comparing things to Greek and Roman gods, or referencing obscure Irish legends. But the best will always be Diana's comparison of me to "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli. :)
2. Intelligence: It's hard for me to be close to people who can't grasp or vocalize or theorize with me in my reflections on life. Never a problem with Diana.
A. Academic
Even though Diana hates philosophy and I love it, we were still biology and literature nerds together. We were both brought up in academic atmospheres and we could pretty much talk about anything we'd ever learned or studied. Which was a delight for me, because I could go on and on about sentence structure, and Diana would just laugh.
B. Social
Like I said, Diana thought I was socially awkward when we first met. She is very socially mided and well-mannered, so I had a lot to learn from her. But Diana is an amazing hostess and loves to throw parties. She'll be an excellent wife for that.
C. Nerdiness
Diana and I are both basically in love with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. "But you were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!" Harry and Ron shrines. Watching the Fellowship of the Ring every night before we went to bed. Enough said.
3. Beauty: I always thought I was the sexiest woman alive. Diana may have beat me though. Maybe. ;)
A. Outer
Let's be honest, people are shallow. Thankfully, Diana entered my life at an opportune time and taught me a lot about grace and beauty, like eye make-up and how to walk in heels. Haha. And she always made me feel beautiful, even when she was telling me that I couldn't wear that shirt or do my hair like that cause it was heinous. I knew it was all out of love.
B. Inner
Even though Diana is beautiful beyond all reason, her inner beauty is far superior to her outer beauty. I am constantly in awe of the things she is capable of. She is constantly becoming a better person, and working on some project or another. She is talented in pretty much every area, especially cooking. :) There is nothing she can't do, but she has a way of making you feel like the most special person in the world in whatever area you are talented in (except no one will ever compare to her cooking!).
4. Fun: Friends are supposed to have fun together. With Diana and I, it was nothing but.
A. The Office
Diana introduced me to the Office, and I am so glad she did. "The rules of 'shotgun' are very simple and very clear."
B. Sense of Humor
Diana loves to make people laugh. She has pretty much the exact same sense of humor as I do, so it was easy for us. We have a ridiculous amount of inside jokes, which I'm not even going to attempt to list. Suffice it to say, we pretty much have our own language between us.
C. Silliness
Diana's wiggle dance. I cna't even try to describe it. You just have to see it.
5. Kindness
I've already hinted that Diana is one of the most kind people I've ever known. She can say something nice about anyone, even someone she doesn't like (and she doesn't pretend to like people that she doesn't like, either). She can even say something good about boys who break her friends' hearts. She is so forgiving, as well. There have definitely been some times when we've been upset with each other, and haven't talked for a while, but she always makes an effort to fix it (which is more than I can say for myself). She is also affectionate and not afraid to show you how she feels about you. I will never have to doubt about how much I mean to her.
6. Spirituality
When we met, Diana was the Relief Society president of my freshman ward. She was perfect for the job. She was the most dedicated Relief Society president I've had to date. Not only does she care about her callings and the Gospel, but she is continually striving to be better and strengthen her testimony. She's bound to be full of inspiring quotes about a person's worth and living up to it. Every time I've come to her for advice, she's told me simple doctrinal truths that should be obvious to me. I think her profound dedication and spirituality are what make her so wonderful in all the other categories. She is bound for great things.

When Diana and Scott started dating, it was hard for me to realize and get used to not being her best friend anymore. But Scott is amazing in almost all the same ways, and I know he will take care of her and love her. My only hope is that she knows how much I love her, and that I was able to take care of everything she needed me for when it was my place. I'm lucky to have her in my life, and I know that we were meant to be friends and influence each other, because my life has changed so much for the good because of her example. I'm also really grateful that she and I have the kind of friendship that can be easily maintained over long distances, so that I can still have her as my best friend for the rest of my life.