Tuesday, May 25, 2010

What Rianne Means to Me


Written by Briana Katzenberger - Rianne's Cousin - May 24,2010

2005 was a big year in "this" Katzenberger household. John moved to Maui, and I stayed back in Idaho, with our 3 year old Son Carter. I was so lonely, and Don and Lillian had been telling me for years to "email our daughter Rianne, you'll love her". I was always so self conscionce of "pushing myself" on people that I'd never met. I was worried she wouldn't like me or something? I was worried she wasn't as "cool" as they were making her out to be? I don't know... but in one simple step, Rianne finally took the first step and emailed me... and it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

Rianne is so much more than a cousin (by marriage) to me. She's my girlfriend, a momma, a sister, a soul mate. We can sit on the phone for over 3 hours and STILL have more to talk about, but get off the phone, because we know that neither of us have done a darn thing except talk on the phone. We can sit there laughing at anything and EVERYTHING, especially if it's anything related to Poop. She's a mentor that I run to DAILY with my problems, a friend that can pick me up when I need an extra boost, a mom when I need advice on how to NOT kill my child, and a soul mate... she knows things about me, before I EVEN know them. :) We strive to find something funnier, or sicker, or down right profound to call each other about at least once a day... but sometimes we call just to call. If I ever wondered if God was real, there is no question now, because he gave me one of the greatest blessings of all, with my dear Rianne.
Rianne is one of the MOST caring and generous people I have ever met. I, honestly don't know what I did without her. We talk everyday, and if we miss a day, it's because something is wrong, and I know to call her immediately. :)

Seeing Rianne go through everything she has with NHL has been extremely difficult for me. My husband and I seriously debated moving to Gold Beach, just so I could be with her everyday, even if that meant NO JOB and that we'd live on the beach... I just cannot imagine the strength and endurance it takes to tackle this disease head on. She's carried courage, and determination, and a faith far beyond a mustard seed, to face this Poopnoma, and conquer. Rianne is ABSOLUTELY HANDS DOWN the person I strive to be everyday of my life. She's my inspiration to keep going when I think things are rough. She's that encouraging word in my ear. She's my everything. (She might want to consider a restraining order... I'm sounding a little obsessed)... I truly TRULY did not know what it meant to have a "soul mate" until I met Rianne. We are one in the same. We're like Siamese (if you please) Twins... with 30 years between us. We often joke that if she had a daughter it'd be me... (with my Twinners)... We can finish each other's sentences, we wake up the same days with headaches, "kankles", chinecks, bums on fire, DIET COKE, special TP, AMAZINGLY FUNNY/DORKY husbands... you name it... and we're practically the same person... I'm just not quite as OCD as she is! HAHA

I love Rianne Becker-Katzenberger to the moon and back times a million. Without her, I wouldn't be complete. I wouldn't be who I am today. In just 5 short years, this woman has impacted my life like no other has. She has engraved her name on my heart, where nobody will ever be able to touch it. She has given me so much more than a few crummy words could ever describe. Rianne is my Hero. (yup, I'm balling too).

1 comment:

  1. https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0Bx0Bc3bYM7WiYzkyYmZjNWUtZDhlNS00MGUzLTg5NzctZGI2NjllNjQyZjdh&hl=en

    You can click on this link and check out day to day progress on Queen Becker, and her beauty. :) I can't get it to load onto the page yet... but I'm working on it! :)

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