One can never really understand how quickly time moves until you are processing the loss of a loved one. One day you are saying goodbye to them as you lay them to rest, the next you are walking 5 ks in their honor, and then the next you are remembering them in every way possible.

I still remember receiving the news four years ago about the loss of one of my closest high school friends. It was about 9:30 p.m. on a Saturday night and I was watching the second Thor movie with my mom. We had accidentally rented it in 3D but we watched it anyway. My childhood best friend who I had actually not spoken to in almost four years messaged me on Facebook and asked me a simple question,"Hey, do you know what happened to Jenny?"

Jen, not a day goes by where I don't think about you. The love you had for everyone regardless of their background, shape, size, or color is something that I always found to be so inspirational about you. In every way possible you were a beautiful person who showed me how to forgive and move past the things people often do wrong to us in our lives.

The last day I saw you in this life you said something to me I will never forget. As I was stepping out of your car in the Price Cutter parking lot you said,"Amanda, you have a heart of gold I never want you to lose." At that moment I remembered how appreciative I was of you saying that to me. I remember thinking that I will see you soon enough that we can continue talking about our college adventures as we drive around listening to T-Pain and eating our weight in chicken nuggets. However that day unfortunately never came.

Now here we are four years later.

Everyone who was close to you and knew you still honors your memory in every single way possible. Whether it be paying you and your grandpa a visit, sharing stories of all of the antics you used to get into, or holding each in other in times of sadness when we miss you.

You have graced us all with your presence in a multitude of your ways since you left this life. It often comes in the form of butterflies which have become a symbol of happiness for so many of us. You also had a joy for life that people do their best to carry out whether it be to just sit and have a couple glasses of wine together or to wander around a butterfly palace for a day in almost total silence while watching you fly by.

Thank you for gracing my life with your kind heart and bubbly personality, for the lessons we learned together as friends, and the trials of life we went through together as young teenagers. Thank you for trusting me as a confidant and often driving over to my house to sit on my front porch to talk about life for what felt like hours. You also taught me how to love unconditionally which is something I will always try my hardest to do.

Thank you for being in my life. I miss you every single day.