It's been 17 years since I started 6th grade and didn't have any friends. August 15th, 1996, I started a brand new school with not a single friend from elementary school... and there was a group of guys and girls sitting around. I was too shy to go over to. But you made sure that I was befriended. I was almost 12 years old and you were one of my very best friends.
It has been around 15 years since you convinced me that it was a good idea to walk 3 miles to go to the lake and go fishing with you... and I got scared to walk so I had my grandpa drive me. It's been that long since you drove that four wheeler with our other friend on it and wrecked it into a ditch. I can still remember you teaching my little brother all those things that no 7 year old should know. He still remembers all the stuff you taught him... guess that's why mom never had to have the "birds and bees" talk with him. haha!
It's been about 13 years since you were cracking jokes at me but would fight to the death against anyone who would say anything bad about me. We'd hang out in the hall way and pass notes not only to each other to make it through the day but to all our friends... Your notes were always about three sentences long... which for you, was a novel.
It's been 9 years since all your "trust me guys, this is gonna be my best idea ever" statement always turned what was actually terrible ideas into some of the best memories I have. You helped turn rainy stormy nights into 5 girls "grass" wrestling; lawn chairs in the garage into lawn chairs in the bed of a pick up driving down dirt roads because we couldn't get in trouble with anyone but county mounties once we were not on paved streets; setting the microwave timer to move our cars up 1 inch on the street so the cops wouldn't come by and mark the tires for being in the street too long; the all guys canoe trip that turned into trying to auction off myself and my best girlfriend for the most beers on the river; and hurry get in the truck before her mom rips your face off was said to me while helping our friend move out of her mom's house, among the other ideas that could have gone horribly awry.
It's been 2 years, since I saw you and we weren't able to catch up. It's been 2 months since I heard the last voicemail I'd ever get from you.
Your life mattered to so many people. Without you, there's so many years of my life that wouldn't have been some of the best memories I've ever had. So, it's been one month and five days since I got off a plane in Philadelphia and got news that you weren't here anymore. It's been one month and five days since I was standing in that airport breathless because you were gone. It's been one month and five days since I've been able to drive my normal way home. It's been one month and five days since I've been able to go about life "normally". It's been 5 days since I stopped being mad about it all. I pray that you are in heaven waiting for the rest of us... and I promise you, you will get slugged in the arm when I see you next.
