My Friend the Queen

I have this really awesome friend. Her name is Kristina Jill Camacho.


And now, for ease of reading, I present to you My List of Things I Love About Kristina:

• She is quite possibly the single most emotionally and spiritually healthy person I know.
• She's madly in love with Jesus, which happens to be my favorite quality in a person.
• When Kristina sees me, she frequently asks me "How is your heart?" This is what "How are you" is supposed to mean, because when she says "How is your heart?" she really means it. Most times I actually have to stop and think about that, because the condition of my heart is something that I (and probably most of us) neglect to consider on a regular basis.
• Kristina regularly reminds me to look for the beatiful things in life and then to cling to them with all I've got.
• She's the best gardener I know.
• She knows the importance of family, and that family is not always blood-borne.
• She's fearless, which is not the same as being unafraid, but is being willing to face the scary things.
• Kristina never gives up, especially not on people. When she decides to love someone, she loves them selflessly and persistently.
• She reads. This is a wonderful quality in a person.
• She writes. Also wonderful.
• She became my friend when I needed a new one, and now sticks around to become an old one.
• Kristina and Emily and I have fantastic Girl Dates. Well, we've only had one, but we're going to have more, and they'll be amazing.
• She's fun to talk about boys with.
• Her sense of humor is killer.
• She's a beautiful, beautiful girl, from head to toe, but is one of the few gorgeous people I've met who is infinately more beautiful on the inside than out.

I stumbled upon this post written on my friend Kristina's birthday, by her sister-in-law. I hardly ever seen Kristina this year. She and I are both busy, and life has crazy twists and turns that keep us from seeing much of each other. But this post (the one I'm about to show you) reminds me of how much I love her and how wonderful she is and that I wish I would see her for more than 12.7 minutes per week. So since I know she occasionally stops by my blog while rushing through her busy life, I want to remind her of how wisely and truthfully her sister Laura describes her. And for the rest of the world: Meet my friend Kristina. She's wonderful.

Today is Kristina’s birthday. This is the good word about Kristina Jill Camacho.

The first time I met Kristina was over the phone when she was a senior in high school and I was (as she is now) a senior in college. I was in love with her brother, and her brother was in love with me. He wanted us to get to know each other, so we had our first tentative phone conversation one sunny spring morning.

Kristina was the first Camacho woman I met. Camacho women are strong and beautiful and compassionate and wise. They are regal. But they are also earthy - they can pun with the best of their men, surprising you with their funny comebacks; they bring a certain lightness to the room. I liked Kristina immediately.

When we moved to Lincoln, Nebraska two years ago, we thought it was for Kristina. We wanted to come and be her family support while she finished up college - get to know her better as an adult before she really grew up and started off on her own. All these things are very true. What I didn’t realize was that moving to Lincoln was just as much for me.

In moving to Lincoln, I gained not only a friend and confidant with that deep well of Camacho-woman wisdom; I gained a true sister of the heart.

I treasure our conversations, our spontaneous trips to the Mill to talk about boys, or what we want to plant in the spring, or what God is pruning in our lives. I love having her here at our house, even if just to study - she brings a warmth and hominess with her that makes me feel like all is well in the world. I love that she loves me and asks for my opinion on things. I love her creativity (she’s a great writer and actor).

Kristina is a queen. A real one. She didn’t have to buy herself a plastic crown at Wal-Mart or use a wooden spoon for a scepter to prove it. She just is royalty. On especially good days (days when she can wear flip flops and sit out in the sun), Kristina wears her glory loud and clear. She’s not a selfish queen, either. She shares her beauty, shares her strength. Kristina says that one of the things that brings her the most joy is to bring joy to other people; to help them see how beautiful they are. This is her gift and her calling.

When Kristina signs off on her emails, she always writes “Peace, prayer and glorious joy in Jesus.” This is, I think, the mantra of her life and it’s what I want to wish her today for her birthday. So, peace, prayer, and glorious joy in Jesus, Kristina.

Happy birthday, my sister, my friend.