Missing a Friend

Ugly sweater party.  Obviously
neither of us went ugly enough.

A year ago today I lost a dear friend.  She was a shining light in an often-dark world.  I knew her for too short a time, but we bonded quickly over creativity, quirky humor and Sasquatch feet.  Yes, we put the sass in Sasquatch.

She was killed in an accident soon after I moved to Georgia, and it still doesn't seem real to me that I'll never see her again.  She was so smart, so funny, so young, so caring, so full of life.  I haven't had the heart to delete a voicemail from her, random emails or text messages she sent about coming to visit.  It still seems like she should be coming to visit.

At my wedding reception,
with another best friend, Angie.

Rochelle, I miss you.  I think about you too often to count.  So many things remind me of you, and all those memories make me smile.  You make me want to be better- to be more like you- and I think some of your light is still left in the inspiration you gave others.  I'm so lucky to have known you, and so sad to be left here without you.

Halloween 2010: She was Spring. I was Summer.  It seemed like
time stretched infinitely before us.