Amanda is a friend of mine who I haven't seen since High School. Though I don't have a clear visual memory of what she looked like, I have some strong and lasting impressions of her. She was sweet and graceful and was one of the first people I remember thinking of as lady-like. She seemed delicate but she had a inner core of strength and marched to her own tune in the face of peer pressure and peer snubbery. Thinking of her motivates me to honor my own nature; I'm grateful for the strength Amanda has given me, even through the distance of seventeen years and several states.
