Dear Friend,

You were let out of practice to finish a project for school and I hugged you good bye. That day forever changed my life. I did not know that was going to be the last time I would talk to you, joke with you, and show you love. I felt like it was my fault that you are not here anymore because coach let me decide if you needed to stay for work outs or not. You were the friend that meant more to me than I thought you would. I had known you since I was 7, when we were on a summer swim team together. I grew with you. I loved you.

People do not understand why I smile when I talk about you, because they do not know that I loved you more than I loved myself most the time. I knew you were always a sounding board that I could go to no matter what it was. At 16, I did not know that I would lose the person who could make me smile from attempting to talk your way out of practice or fake stripping to get into the pool for practice. Most people did not realize that you and I were such good friends, because I was the more reserved quiet one and you were truly the life of the party, no matter where you went, people were happy.

I remember all the times you and I had together from driving to and from practice to the naps during the huge meets. Thank you for being an amazing cuddler. You always made sure that I had a friend in my life. You mean the world to me. The love you had in you was so immense that I pray I have half the love you had in me.

I may carry guilt for the reason you aren’t here, but I know that there was a greater plan for you to go so soon. People say that only the good die young. With you, that is the truth, you were the best person I had ever met. You made an impact just through your smile to so many people. When I think of your smile, it makes me so happy because your smile was brighter than the North Star in the dead of night. You taught me so many valuable lessons to carry through life.

You reminded me that life did not have to be so serious all the time. That hard work does pay off, but goofing off was more fun. If you talk long enough, then you do not have to finish practice. If you love God more than anything else in life, then you are doing life correct. When you are listening to music really listen to the music because that is the pathway to hear the stories. The only good pictures are the ones you make a funny face in. Lastly, to live life to the fullest no matter what.

Thank you for loving me unconditionally. For praying with me. For pushing me. For helping me break out of my bubble. For being my best friend. For making the standard for other friends crazy high. And for making my life better.

You mean more to me then you would ever know. I would give anything for one last day and swim with you. You make my life to this day worth living.

To my best friend who passed away way too young, thank you for being in my life for the eight years you were.