An Ode to My Ride or Die

“Ride or die- When you are willing to do anything for someone you love or someone you really appreciate in your life; the person who you stand by in any problem and vice versa” (Urban Dictionary)


When it comes to girlfriends, I consider myself very lucky. I’m still best friends with the girl who was my next-door neighbor from the time I was 3 or 4. I have an amazing group of women that I’ve considered friends since elementary and high school. I have become part of a wonderful group of friends since joining our school and church parish here in Baton Rouge. I’m even super close to my mom. But I met my “ride or die” in college. We’re both from the same small town but we went to different high schools. We had a lot of classes together because she majored in History and minored in Political Science, and I was doing the opposite. Looking back, I can’t remember exactly how or when we started hanging out, but I’m so thankful we did.

She has now been a part of my life for about fifteen years. We have been through a lot: graduations, marriages, divorces, having children and more. Through everything, she has always been a source of positivity in my life. She’s not all talk either; she shows up. I have never hesitated to share my deepest, darkest secrets with her. I am completely secure in her loyalty to me. And what a rare treasure that is! Especially in today’s world of oversharing on social media, etc. I am sure there have been times that she has disapproved of my actions, but she has never made me feel like a bad person. Even when I haven’t been proud of myself, she finds a way to be proud of me…or at least make me feel less sh*tty about myself.


We don’t get to spend as much time together now that we live in different towns and I am soon to have four small children, but we make it a point to chat on the phone every couple of weeks and sooner of course if we’re having a problem or if we simply need to vent. I know who I’m calling if I ever need to bury a body. I sincerely hope she can say the same things about me. And I hope everyone has a “ride or die” in their lives.

Originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana, Katie has been living in Baton Rouge (again) since 2014. She is married to her husband of five years, Cody, and they are parents to the active and adorable Graham (4) and Emile (2). They recently added identical twins, Felix and Henry in February 2021. Katie graduated from Nicholls State University with a degree in Government, then went to L.S.U. Law school and finished in 2011. She practiced law in both the private and state sectors, but has been at home with her boys since 2016. In her free time, Katie enjoys exercising, going on adventures with her family, getting manis and pedis and watching cooking competitions on Food Network.