It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends.

Napoleon and I were not exactly "friends at first sight." The first time we really talked to each other was at our graduate program's annual Rock Your Undergrad Welcome Back Cookout. I tried to tell her that we should get our dogs together to play, and she tried to tell me to get lost. Napoleon thought I was a dumb sorority girl. And I thought Napoleon had, well, a slight Napoleon complex. I don't remember the exact moment we actually became friends, but I remember being in the same group for our theory class project. Nothing will bring you together like analyzing personality and learning theories. Sometime during that semester we realized we actually liked each other. By Halloween we were half of the Best-Costume-Winning Golden Girls. The next year we decided to live together. Our dogs did, as it turns out, love playing together, even though Sam could drag Pongo around with a rope toy.

Napoleon doesn't let people in easily. That actually makes me feel pretty darn special. She is picky, and I love that about her, even though it made living with her challenging sometimes. I like to think it was good practice for living with routine-driven P. When she chooses to let you in her life, she will love you harder than anyone else ever has. She is brutally honest but also very kind with her words. She feels with you, just like she is experiencing the exact same emotion. She is very practical, except when it comes to shoes. She is introverted and needs her time alone, but she didn't kill me when I blasted music early in the morning and wanted to talk through everything. She is that friend I call when I need a reality check. She is incredibly thoughtful and surprises you with it because she's not mushy at all. Some of my favorite memories of Napoleon are sitting on the couch, eating whole pickles, watching Hannah Montana, and cuddling with our pups. She is that friend you can just be with. Silence isn't awkward, and you always walk away feeling refreshed. And, she isn't afraid to hurt your feelings. That's probably my very favorite thing about Napoleon. She doesn't aim to hurt your feelings, but she would rather bruise your ego a little bit than watch you get yourself into a bad situation that you might get stuck in. I firmly believe that's what makes someone a true friend.

I was blessed to be able to stand by Napoleon on the day she said "I do." I love her and Marky Pooh so very much. Now I get to love on her little boy, too. After P proposed, I immediately started talking plans with her. Funny story though, I actually forgot to ask her to be in the wedding. I'd assumed it was just understood. Good thing she feels the same way, otherwise this blog post would be super awkward.

The real test of friendship is: can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple? [Eugene Kennedy]