I have a friend. Believe it or not, people actually like me. But this friend is a very special friend. You have your friends of “Oh hey, lets go act like 5 year olds together.” and then you have your friendships of “If I had not met you, something big would be missing.”

Lisa is a friend that puts that little extra something special into my life. We can go for months without talking and then feel like we haven’t missed a beat when we get together.

She also understands me on a level that is the very dead center of my insecurities. Just like me, she knows the full reality of her weight holding her back and how jacked up it is that the physical is somehow worshiped on a higher level than the mental.

We had a conversation over froyo (she had water, I had froyo, don’t hate) a while back where I exclaimed that last year was the year of the Laura and this year was the year of the Lisa. We made plans, I said I would help her, I said I would fight with her… and then we didn’t talk for a few weeks.

Then she did something I didn’t think she would do again because it didn’t go so well last time: She joined the gym. And not just any gym. She joined the same chain that I’m part of. That means we can workout together whenever we want. Yet it still took weeks for us to get together.

But you know why all of my failure on my side of the friendship is ok? BECAUSE I TOOK HER TO HER FIRST ZUMBA! Yah, that’s right, me. I introduced her to the fancy pants dance party we call groupX booty shakin. It’s not Hip Hop but it’s booty shaking flirty giggle worthy calorie burning addiction. It’s like the one level down from hip hop. And she enjoyed every second of it.

The class we went to was the most crowded I have ever seen a zumba class get. Every time we bent over, my face was practically in the buttcrack of the person in front of me. That’s normally not the class you take a newbie to. But she did an amazing job. She’s a wonderful dancer. Where most people would have walked out, she laughed.

I didn’t get to take a picture with her like I would have after the class because I had to rush off to get the boys and go to work. Sad panda, I know. I’ll get one next time. But here’s a picture of her that I’m posting without asking because I’m a jerky friend sometimes.

I hope you all see that face now because I see it in her that she’s ready to get healthy. She’s beautiful on the outside. OmGoodness she’s so beautiful. But then you talk to her and you find yourself wishing you had more time with her. So just think of how blown away we’ll be when she’s showing the rest of the world what they missed out on when they were worried about pant size.

I love you Lisa. You remind me why I want to be a personal trainer. You show me that there are women out there who are ready to blow the world away and that I can be along for the ride and front row at the explosion. You show me a smile when you miss a step because you know you still had fun doing it. You show me a dancer people didn’t know was there. You show me determination in the middle of naysayers. You show me a person worthy of a longer and happier life. Thank you for taking me with you to zumba yesterday.

Are we ready for the year of the Lisa? I AM!!!!