Good sense of humor, potty mouth, and a beautiful heart. Add in a little country music and a few hundred pairs of shoes and what that adds up to is a magical combination. Meet my dear friend, Renee Schwegman. People with a sense of humor are so much easier to talk to, and when you add to that the fact that Renee has literally never met a stranger she cannot subdue, we were simply destined to be friends.

Renee is the mom of two pretty great kids and the wife of the only grown man I know who has managed to successfully avoid the “Dad jeans” trap. That’s a compliment, Jeff. She’s also proudly “Aunt Nay” to Max and Lilah, the children of her pretty cool sister, Kathy. Renee is simply too big of a personality to capture in a few paragraphs, but I’d like to tell you about some of my favorite qualities that make Renee one of the finest humans I’ve ever had the pleasure to call friend.

I like authentic people, and Renee is as genuine as they come. Don’t be a pretender, because I will find you out. I like people with whom I can occasionally have meaningful, deep conversations and at the same time will understand that in my head I still say “Wed-nes-day”. We both sometimes enjoy employing the F-bomb. It’s a nuanced and magical word that can really be any part of speech you want. Make no mistake, though, my friend Renee has one of the most generous hearts around. She loves fiercely. For these two reasons alone, her authenticity and generosity, I credit the undeniable fact that she has more friends from more varied backgrounds than anyone I know. Well, there’s also the fact that she doesn’t even know how to SPELL introvert.

If you’re ill, she’ll show up with dinner. When your kids need a place to be for a few days, she’ll set up “Camp Schwegman”. She’s compassionate, kind and gifted. She’s driven out of her way to help out nearly everyone she knows so many times that we all need to shower her with gas cards…but she’d definitely prefer if you just took her out for a beer. Even better if they are playing live music there. She knows how to laugh at herself, and with her in my life, its a much sunnier, more adventurous journey. Also, it’s tastier. The girl can cook. I love people who make me laugh. Honestly, it might be the thing I like the most, because it’s definitely NOT her taste in Big Ten teams.

I read this quote today which is why I chose to write about Renee. “Where joylessness reigns, where humor dies, the spirit of Jesus Christ is assuredly absent.” Pope Benedict wrote that and it made me think…well I have a close friend who is the exact opposite of that…so HOW BLESSED AM I? Renee? You are a boot-wearing badass, and a treasure in my life with a heart of pure gold. THANK YOU for all the times you’ve sent me an inappropriate text that made me laugh and remember not to take myself or life too seriously. I LOVE YOU. SO MUCH.