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Angelique is an extraordinary woman whom I first met in 2008 when my family and I relocated to Wimbledon, London. We arrived toward the end of the year and faced the challenge of enrolling our children in school for the remaining months of the academic year. This proved to be more difficult than we had anticipated, as admission rules varied greatly and depended on available space.
Ultimately, my oldest son had to attend Priory School until the year’s end, while my two younger sons were accepted into Holy Trinity. Unfortunately, my youngest couldn’t start school until the following semester. This meant my mornings were quite hectic; I would drop Jack off, then rush to Holy Trinity with the stroller to drop off Paul, and later return to pick up Dom after his two-hour afternoon session, repeating this routine at the end of the day.
On Jack’s first day of school, I was overwhelmed with emotion as the reality of our situation hit me. I found myself in tears as Jack walked into the school. At that moment, a lovely voice with a distinctive accent approached me and said, “Oh shame, don’t be sad; it will be alright.” As soon as I turned to her, we became the best of friends, inseparable from that day forward.
Angelique had relocated from South Africa and was in a similar situation, temporarily housed by her husband's company near Holland Park in Kensington. It’s remarkable how certain people enter your life precisely when you need them. Over the five years we lived in England and the nearly twelve since we moved back, we have shared countless adventures. I fly to see her, she visits here, and we communicate daily, sharing both the joys and challenges life presents.
Because of Angelique, my life has been enriched with laughter and meaningful experiences. The joy we share is priceless, and the support we provide each other feels as close as that of sisters. Although we are separated by an ocean, we are merely a phone call away.
Having moved around frequently during my childhood, I never had a friend like Angelique. Our children are the same ages, and we both share a strong faith in Christ. Angelique is a kind and gentle soul who consistently prioritizes the needs of others. She is selfless and seeks the best in everyone, a quality I admire, especially coming from New Jersey, where that perspective is less common.
Whenever I embark on something new, she is my biggest cheerleader, and I am hers. I hope and pray that everyone has a friend like her in their life. If you’re interested, I’ve created a video on YouTube documenting our trip to New York, which I would love for you to see.
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