I’ve been silent lately. I haven’t written in weeks. And to be honest, the reason is sad. Tragic, awful, depressing, and sad. On December 22, 2015 I lost one of my very best friends. But I’m not here to write about how sad death is, or to depress you with how I feel because that’s not what my friend would want.
My friend's name is Murray. She is unlike any person I’ve ever met. She has a way to light up a room when she walks into it. There isn’t a single person she’s not kind to, and it is hard, if not impossible to find someone who could say something bad about her.
So here is what I’m here to write about. Not death, or sadness, or how life is unfair. I’m here to write about Murray. The impact she left in the short time she was on this earth is more than most people do in a long life time. The things she taught me were endless, but here are just a few of them.
Never to take life too seriously. Murray’s goofy personality is what got me through my most stressful days. If you needed a good laugh, she would purposefully do something stupid, just to make you laugh. And half the time, even if she wasn’t trying, she was doing something to make you laugh anyway.
Live with Purpose. Murray didn’t waste her days. Even if they weren’t the usual definition of “productive” they were spent with the ones she cared about, and typically making them laugh.
To be a good friend. Murray was always there for you. It didn’t matter how close you were to her, if you needed someone to listen, she was there for you.
To celebrate the small stuff. Whether class was cancelled or she got an A on a test, Murray celebrated every accomplishment big or small.
Love with intention. Every time Murray talked to me she told me she loved me, and I wasn’t the only one. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and it only grew as she got to know more and more people. Wether you knew Murray for 4 months, or 14 years, she made everyone feel like they were here closest friend.