The Prettiest Girl

Someone told me once that it only takes one person to believe in you and others will begin to follow and before you know it you will have all the encouragement you need to chase your dreams.  I have certainly found this to be true in my life and it’s quite appropriate to celebrate the blessings God gives us.  This blog post is dedicated to the person who has pushed me to pursue my dreams and talents more than anyone else I have ever known, Sherry Johnson Morgan.

In my past postings, I have mentioned that I wanted to be a writer of some kind for as long as I can remember.  In the first grade, our teacher, Mrs. Green was the apple of my eye.  She looked like Snow White.  She had this beautiful flowing dark hair and the most beautiful eyes and smile.  She always had beautifully painted red lips matching her shiny finger nails and her heart was about as warm as anyone I had known.  I fell in love with her on the first day of school.  Of course, even back then, I was a realist.  I knew she was out of my league, by maybe twenty or thirty years!  As a young six year old Republican, I decided to set my sights on someone a little more attainable.  There were a few beautiful girls in our first grade class at Roy Webb, but it was a small community and I was related to most of them!  Stacye Bramlett, Autumn Champion and Tammy Townsend were a few that I had crushes on, but the girl in the class who stole all the boy’s hearts was Sherry Johnson.  She was by far the most popular.  I was particularly swept off my feet when Mrs. Green chose Sherry and I as the leading characters in the first grade play.  It was a Valentine Day play and was part of the PTA assembly.  I was the Prince and she became the Princess.  Well, in real life, romantic love never evolved for Sherry and I, but we developed a bond that remains strong to this day and I couldn’t be more blessed to have such a wonderful friend.

Later in our grammar school career, our sixth grade teacher and Principal, Mr. Holloway developed a weekly assignment requiring each of us to use our spelling words in a short story.  My classmates wrote funny stories about their families, vacations, hobbies, etc.  At the age of eleven, I was pretty creative.  I had been writing short stores and other material since I learned out compose a sentence at four years old.  Instead of just a short story, I wrote a script for a soap opera.  It took some convincing, but Mr. Holloway actually allowed me to cast my friends in this soap opera and we acted it out in the auditorium on stage.  My friend, Sherry was convinced back then that I was destined for success.

Later in high school, I would continue to write an ongoing fictional series, and she was my biggest fan.  Every week I wrote a different script, and for four years, she read it every single week.  At the end of the school year, there would be a cliffhanger and she would have to wait throughout the summer to see what was going to happen at the beginning of the new season, which was also the beginning of the new school year.  I had my first fan and my biggest supporter in Sherry Johnson.

Sherry remained the sweetest girl at Roy Webb and at our high school, Pleasant Valley.  She was extremely diplomatic and non-judgmental.  She basically loves everyone and I never knew of a single enemy she had.  When a parent thinks about how they want their child to turn out, I just know it would be just like Sherry Johnson. Some of her attributes are intelligent, talented, forgiving, accepting, honest, trustworthy, and oh so loyal.   

Sherry is the younger of two daughters born to Jimmy and Connie Johnson of Piedmont, AL.  Sadly, her older sister, Melissa passed away at a very young age.  Sherry always kept the memory of her sister alive, even though she was born after Missy’s death and never got the chance to know her.  I can only imagine how proud that little angel in Heaven is looking down on her little sister.  If she could speak to Sherry, I am sure she would tell her how beautiful her crown was going to be, because I don’t know of many people who have probably earned as many stars as she has.

After graduation, we attempted to keep in touch as much as possible, but careers and lives take us in different directions.  Sherry pursued a career in the legal field and later married her high school sweetheart, Patrick and gave birth to the absolute love of her life, DJ.  He is the cutest rascal you have ever laid your eyes on and has this smile that matches Sherry’s; however, you can tell his is completely mischievous.  He loves his mother with all his heart.

Sherry and I lost our fathers the same year and we have truly been able to grow our relationship even stronger over the last several years because of the internet and Facebook.  I always say that FB is a blessing from God because it gives us the chance to reconnect with our childhood friends who were truly like gold to us.

Sherry and I have many things in common including the fact that we sometime struggle with our emotions and we battle depression.  She has no idea what kind of influence she has on my life because if it weren’t for her, I would not still be writing to this day.  I could literally sit down and copy a paragraph of names from the phone book and she would find something positive and encouraging to say about it because she believes in me that much.  That is true friendship and it is the kind of gift that God bestows upon us to lift our hearts when they are heavy and to light our paths when they seem a little shaded.

Sherry supports my blog, reads my short stories, scripts, chapters from my books, and gives me the most honest opinions and compliments I could ever ask for.  Just last week when I received my first copy of my published article in Healthy Horizons Health and Wellness Magazine, I took a copy to her, signed at her request.  I couldn’t stay in her office long, because it was hard to keep my composure.  My forty year dream had finally reached a very pleasing reality and I had her to thank.  It was quite emotional.  There have been many times I wanted to give up hope, but Sherry has never allowed me to. 

My friend, Sherry Johnson Morgan is turning forty next month and I was going to wait until her birthday, on August 25 to post this blog entry, but she is going through some things this week and I felt like now was the best time to celebrate her.  My struggles with depression have been so difficult, but I know God strengthens me through the people that are in my life.  Sherry is one of those people.  She will forever be my friend.  We never judge each other, we only listen, advise, and encourage.  I am so lucky to have her in my circle and so honored to be a part of hers.

When you find yourself suffering and feeling like hope is fading, think about all the things God has done for you and the people he places in your path to lift your spirit, light your way, and hold your hand.  Please think about this and search your heart and soul, I know all of you have your very own Sherry Johnson Morgan…..

Love to you all.