Since the day I was born, you've always been there. You came to watch me cheer at every football game, every basketball game, and you even came to my competitions. You came to see me and take pictures with me at every dance I attended. I rode the bus to your house after school when I was young.

I spent almost every summer with you as a child. We sat at your house eating banana popsicles and watching movies for hours. I'm sure you had seen "Grease" and "Forrest Gump" about a million times each, but you watched them with me anyway. We shared wings at Mr. G's for lunch, and then we'd spend the rest of our day at the Poca Hunting and Fishing Club just swimming and laying out in the sun. We always took your little two-seat convertible Mazda. We would drive down Poca River Road with our hair flying behind us and tangling into rats nests.

We sang "Dancing Queen" on your karaoke machine and danced around your room for hours. We took a trip to Summersville to see Susan and Jordan, and we had a blast. You gave me a new friend — and soon, she'll be at WVU with me, too. We went to the beach and your smile radiated as soon as you saw the ocean. It was your favorite place to be, and it's now mine, too.

You came to a cheer competition with me and Mom, and it was one of the best weekends of my life. We ate hibachi on my sixteenth birthday and you smiled at me with all the love in the world. I could tell that you couldn't believe how old I had gotten. I remember the way you looked at me when I bought my senior prom dress and I tried it on for you to see. You absolutely loved it.

When I baked cupcakes, you always tried to sneak and get some icing, even though you were diabetic and knew you shouldn't have. I was always onto you, but you'd just laugh. You always wore "blingy" clothes, as you would call them. You had the bubbliest personality. You could also be so negative at times, but it always seemed to make me laugh.

You didn't know what to name your cat, so you literally just named her Kitty-Cat. You put silly face decorations on your trees and you loved them. I remember always visiting one of my best friends, Bailee, during the summertime, and when you were ready for me to come back for dinner, you'd ring the bell that was outside your front door. You loved the color purple, so your room and your comforter on your bed were always purple, too.

You had so many friends and you were easy to get along with. Everyone always seemed to love you so much. It seemed like you were quite the matchmaker back in the day, according to your friends. I cherish all of these memories and things I know about you because they're all I have left.

I miss you. I miss everything about you. I wish you could've been here to see me go to my senior prom. I wish you could've watched me compete for the very last time. I wish you could've seen me walk across the stage at graduation. I wish you could've been at the graduation pool party with all my friends. I wish you could've been here for Grayson's first birthday party, Aaliyah's seventh birthday, and my eighteenth birthday. I wish you could've gone to the beach with us last summer, just one more time. I wish you could've met my roommate, Hannah, and could have come with me to move into college.

I wish you were going to be at Taylor and James' wedding next June, and at mine one day, too. I wish you were going to be here to meet the husband and kids that I'll hopefully have someday. I wish I could just sit and binge-watch shows with you all day long. I wish, all too much, that you were still here with me.

My heart aches every day being here without you. The day you passed, you took a piece of me with you. Speaking at your funeral was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I know you're watching over me, but I wish you were here standing beside me. I miss you more than you'll ever know, Mamaw Jo.