A friend of mine passed away in a car accident three years ago on this day. Her and I only got close that summer before her passing and I can only be grateful that we had even that little bit of time together. Car accidents happen all the time, but when it’s a friend or loved one, it becomes a lot more than just another car accident. And my share of pain, grief, loss, shock is incomparable to her family’s, loved ones’, and friends’, who were closer to her than I was and who have known her longer than I have. Three years later, I still think that she’s just away on a really long vacation or that she’s living in another country and loving it so much that she has no desire to come back. Dorothy was the first death in my life that was close enough to pierce my heart. Her number is still stored in my phone directory.
But with mourning comes a celebration – a celebration of the life that she lived, the lives she touched, the relationships she built, the happiness she brought, the love she shared. A celebration of people’s love for her, people’s thoughts of her, people’s memories of her. A celebration of every soul at her funeral, who loved and cared for her. A celebration of her intellect, her talents, her beauty, her sweetness. This girl was flawless on the inside and out and I am certain that anybody who had the privilege to know her can only speak highly of her and I am also certain that every life that she touched was made better.
I am thinking of you, Dorothy. April 15, 1984 – October 5, 2007.
