3 Lessons from 1 Inspirational Leyanet

Luminous is the word I would use to describe Leyanet who is one of my dearest friends. Luminous by definition means full of light and bright or shining, especially in the dark. The glow that follows her into every scene she walks into is the reason why so many people have come to love and adore her. Leyanet is not only my friend but also my role model, my support during tough times and a reminder that there is always a reason to laugh.

When summer of 2016 began, back when I was a sophmore in highschool it was off to a usual start. I had planned to be bored and miserable for the duration of my summer break but then applied to Defined Fitness here in Albuquerque, NM in hopes of landing the job as a Kids Club Attendant. A month later I unexpectedly started my first day when my manager called me frantic, desperate to find coverage and asked if I could come in. I was so excited and immediately agreed to come in that Monday night.

When I walked into Kids Club I admit I was intimidated and not by the 25 maniac children that ran about screaming and playing. I instead took one look at Leyanet and decided she was way too gorgeous to be nice. I fully intended to act as snotty as possible to compete with her ridiculously pretty and ridiculously annoying looks. Before I could give a fake introduction, she exclaimed "Hi, you must be Breanna, I'm Leyanet and it going to be a crazy night!" She smiled a genuine smile, shook my hand and immediately started to show me the ropes to work as an attendant. I couldn't help but sigh a sign of relief she was amazing and right then I learned my first lesson from her: Not Every Drop Dead Gorgeous Gal is a B***ch!

We worked together for three years and shifts with her became something to look forward to. During the time I worked at Defined Fitness I was also in highschool and was very depressed and not much made me happy. The minute I got to work the sad me went away and Leyanet and I worked our asses off. Kids Club Attendant was my very first job and since my very first shift was with Leyanet, I only knew how to do my best. I saw how she hustled with a smile on her face and just copied her. My problem was I wanted to be her. I wanted her confidence, her beauty and brains but most of all I wanted to be effortlessly kind. I saw how much people adored her and wanted that same attention.

I didn't realize that she didn't act the way she did for likes until later. She had just finished talking to a member and I made some kind of comment about her being so pretty and perfect. She laughed and urged me to quit being so dramatic and I continued teasing her with comments and said I bet you were the "Queen B" when you were in highschool. She assured me she was not popular in the least bit. I dropped the topic and thought to myself how lucky I am to have such a wonderful friend. Two weeks later she casually mentioned she was prom queen back when she was in highschool. At that moment I learned my 2nd lesson from her: Treating people the way you want to be treated actually works!

Throughout our relationship Leyanet has always been there for me and has inspired me to become a kinder and more hardworking individual and an all around better person. Even when we fought she always remained the bigger person because that is just who she is. Aside from being a kind and beautiful Leyanet happens to be one of the strongest, hardest working and most intelligent women I know. At times she has worked three jobs while also attending college full-time to become a Physician's Assistant and never once did she neglect her relationships with the people she cared about.

I can remember a time when I could not stop crying and had declared myself homeless after a dumb fight with my parents and like a drama queen had started walking away from my home. When I realized how sad I was and how stupid I was being I called Leyanet. She wiped my tears, gave me a tough pep talk and told me everything was going to be okay. I am so grateful for all she does and all she is. She may not be rich or famous to everyone but to me she is rich in character and encompasses everything an inspirational woman should have.

As far I am concerned the L in Leyanet stands for not just luminous but also loving because she never takes the people around her or anything for granted. She captures people with heart and compassion, not her looks. The E is for enthusiastic as she motivates those around her to succeed and always do their very best (I mean it is her instagram bio)! Y is for YASSSS!!!!! because she is always eager and ready to conquer what the world throws at her whether it's endless hours at work or endless homework, hardwork is no problem for her. The A represents Attitude but the good kind, as mentioned before her confidence, style and optimism is reflected in everything she does, outfits and all! However she is still so humble and giving even after people have wronged her. N is for noble, she has a way of holding her head high and staying true to her values even when it is the worst of times. The other E is for Extraordinary because she is nothing short of amazing. I wouldn't want anyone else to help me pick up my clothes off of a dirty hotel lobby after ignoring the fact that my luggage was broken and I can't think of anybody who can restore a broken person's spirit and even get them to see the brighter side of life as she can. This is why the T in Leyanet is also the third lesson I have learned from her: There is always a reason to smile!

The memories I share with Leyanet are priceless and also pretty hilarious. Her and I were always pulling pranks on each other like spraying each other with spray bottles filled with water. During one particular water fight we had both sprayed each other pretty good or at least I thought. She went into the bathroom and came out with her backup pair of pants and I was left to look as though I wet my pants for the remainder of the shift. Another hilarious water related memory I remember is when I did the age-old broken faucet prank with a dime and clear rubber-band. After being told the faucet was broken she went in to investigate and sprayed herself and the best part was she really thought the faucet was broken. She kept turning the faucet on and off as I got teary eyed from laughing so much. Every Time I need a good laugh I reflect on these memories.

Other memories were not so funny at the times like the time when I was angrily yelling at her in the middle of LaGuardia Airport in New York. She was nervously trying to calm me down because everyone was looking at me, like I was a madwoman. Looking back I don’t know why airport security wasn’t called. Even though I was extremely rude to Leyanet towards the end of our trip to NYC she still looked out for me. Even when we ended having a 17 hour layover which caused us to miss our connecting flight home; ultimately resulting in her driving home when we landed in Colorado and me flying home.

At the end of the day I can always count on Leyanet to have my back. Some days we are polar opposites like when I want sushi and she wants the same thing she always orders from the same restaurant we always go to (Cheddars). Other days we are in sync like when we both give the host/hostess the same look when they try to seat us close to the bathroom. Sometimes we even get looks when we see each other on the other side of a gym, or store or another public place and decide to scream and wave at each other very loudly.

I am just so appreciative to Leyanet for being my friend. She tells me to suck it in when I am trying on the clothes she picks for me. She tells me to suck it up when I am being ridiculous and she tells me life sucks but to just keep going. No matter where life takes us I hope Leyanet knows I am her friend for life and when she asks for my help the answer will be YASSSS! Love you Ley, keep being your inspirational self!