Curvy Girls Can’t Date Best Friends by Kelsie Stelting

Author’s Note

Friendship is one of the moist important gifts we can give or receive. My junior year of high school was a really dark time for me. I’d been hurt by a girl with no recourse, lost many of my friends because of that, and I spent night after night praying that God would send me a friend. A best friend I could share life with. Who would be there in the hard times and help me celebrate the good.

Soon after, I met a guy with a sunshine smile who became my best friend. And my husband.

Sometimes what we long for, though, isn’t always delivered in the way we expected. With my husband, I’ve had to practice the delicate art of forgiveness. Grow in self-respect. Lean into some stubbornness.

In this story, Callie is blesses multiple times over with all of the friendship in her life. Her parents are some of her best guides, showing her how to give friendship to others. Her brother is there for her and his roommate when they need it. The girls all lift each other up and demand they each have the self-respect they deserve. And then Carson shows Callie what it means to truly love.

When it comes down to it, isn’t that what friendship is? Love?

Beckett wasn’t wrong when he said that sometimes love tears us apart, but it can also hold us together. Sometimes it drives us to do incredible things driving across the country to keep someone safe from a perceived threat or reaching out to the mean girl no matter how many times you’ve been wronged.

Wherever you are today, I hope you’ll extend some of that love to those around you, and especially to yourself.