This one is for you Mason.

Where I am from the people you went to kindergarten with are often the ones you sit beside on the day of graduation. Where I am from young couples get married and have babies daily. Where I am from death and young do not intertwine. Although when the two do dance, it burns everyone down where I am from.

My freshman year of college I had three very close friends attending the same university as me. Three friends that I had known since the age of six. One of those friends was Mason. He was one of the closest guy friends I had and in spite of the fact that he woke me up from naps, he was always there for me.

I can still remember the last time Mason hugged me before he left to go back home. Mason never gave hugs. I had spent my entire senior year of high school trying to get Mason to hug me back, so when he did I could not help but laugh and call him soft.

That was the last time I got to hug my friend. If I could go back and do it over again, I would. Because as of right now, I would do anything to have a hug from my friend.

Losing a close friend is never easy. It seems as though it is all unreal. Not long ago you were laughing together like you always do. Losing your friend tears you down on the inside piece by piece.

I have always questioned why God takes those you care for so prematurely. When I was younger I never understood why God would purposely cause pain to those who lost loved ones. When I lost my friend, I was still left with that question.

Over time we all grew numb. We did not speak of Mason because honestly it just hurt too much. Our hearts tended to break over and over. You know, when it feels like your heart is literally tearing apart inside your chest? It is as though we pushed the hurt so far back that it could not be brought to the surface ever again.

Romans 8:28 states, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." My question was answered. The question I carried around since my mom died when I was eight years old.

Evil is in the world. None of us in this world have the ability to completely rid all evil. It is a result of us sinning against God. When evil is here, it will cause bad things to happen in our lives. Could God stop this evil? Yes, but he allows evil to come into our lives to remind us how great He is and that His plan is sufficient for everything in our lives. Sometimes good things do not come around immediately for those who love Him, but in time He brings everything back to us to give Himself glory.

There is not a day I do not think of Mason. It was just last week that it was his 19th birthday. When the clock struck midnight it was as though my heart tore all over again. A part of my heart will always hurt after losing my friend. Even though it does, I will always remember that the God I serve heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Carrying pain within my heart is not what my friend would have wanted. I honestly cannot say what Mason would tell us all right now because it would be a little too vulgar for an article. I do know that my friend would want all of us to be happy. He would want us to keep living not only for ourselves but for him.

I will always carry the memory of Mason and the love of our friendship close to my heart. No matter how bad it may hurt sometimes. We grew up together then, we will meet again later.

I love you, Mason.