I met Andria out of a desire to appease her daughter— my friend. I was in a season of break-up: boy, lifelong church, job attachment, all the things. And Lauren, whom I actually knew through the job I was struggling in, insisted for weeks upon weeks last winter that I go hang out with her mom. Lauren is a strong friend (in the best sense, most of the time) and I was especially weak then so I buckled. I made an “appointment” to hang out with Andria at her house one afternoon.. I’d met her many times before, but always as “Lauren’s mom.” I went to get it over with and get sweet Lauren off my everlovin’ back. Upon walking in, I was given a hug, a teddy bear and taken into her cozily lit room to sit on her bed with her and her dog Bella. It sounds weird, but unfolded so naturally.
Since then, I’ve been to Andria’s house (house doesn’t really do it justice. It’s totally a home, complete with English garden in the back, a British flag fridge – yes, the entire front of her fridge is a British flag encased with a mishmash of magnets – photos posted anywhere with an open space, a branch hanging in her living room which adds this wonderfully odd touch of Sherwood Forest to her comfy couches, and patterns of complementary, slightly whimsical colors everywhere) many, many times. Her surprise fiftieth (I mean thirtieth?) birthday was thrown in mine. I went to her mother’s memorial last Spring. And we went to Nicaragua to tutor and cook for elementary school children with Enrich Missions (enrichmissions.org). Megan and Wayne are killa so I feel no shame about this plug. Look them up. Follow them. Support them.) this past summer. She could be my mom and every now and then she steps into that role for a moment as needed. But she’s a weirdo. And has, instead, become my friend. Although I’d call her one of my mentors, she has the humility to allow me to encourage, counsel and even teach her with what God has given me. (This makes me love and respect her all the more.) She’s been my partner-in-crime for “to-hell-with-it” dates to the movies, taco bars and Nature Preserves (This one time she texted me after I got off a long Saturday of work and was like “Come over. I have a plan.” When I showed up to her house she packed me, her son Eli and two giant cameras into her minivan and drove us down the backwoods of Ocoee to the …. Preserve. We coasted through it in the blazing sun for miles with the windows down – and I think with the side door open at times. She gave me one of her highly expensive cameras and told me to just snap off whatever I thought worthy of a photo. My first semi-legit experience in photography. She had remembered me saying I was interested in photographic design months ago. It was a blast. Every photo of mine came out blurry.. She took some beautiful ones. Eli counted 37 gators) when we probably should’ve been doing more productive things. She’s also led me into some of the sweetest moments with Christ this year, moving me to face the crud in the bottom bits of my heart.
She’s wonderful and would never share all this about herself in something as official as an “About Me”, so I will.
— hannah shugart, editor of sorts