November 15th.

And now...something else that is on my mind.  Tomorrow is November 16th, and if you know me then you know that it is a very significant day. It marks the day that my best friend, Amy German, was killed in a car accident.  

I have been thinking all day about how November 15th is also important, as it marks the last day that she was alive and that I saw her.  You never know when it is someone's last day, I guess that is what I am thinking.  You never know when it is the last time you will have to look at them in the face, to hear their voice, their laugh, to be beside them.  You just don't know, until it is the next day when they are gone.  But you had that last day- what did you do on that last day?  This is what I have been thinking about today.  Tomorrow marks 17 years since Amy passed, and the day after marks one day that she has been gone longer than she lived...John and I were talking about this and it really resonated with me. 

So tonight, I tried to focus on the days before she passed. Not one day in particular maybe...just...that time before she was gone. 

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I looked through a special box that I keep and found her cheerleading bow, her name on it with puff paint. Seeing her bow me think of cheerleading practice, games, competitions...she loved cheering.  

...and there were tons of letters, Amy always wrote letters and gave me cards...and she would write on the envelopes and draw little pictures...and I saved them.  I am so glad I saved them.

...but one thing I like to look at...some pages that I wrote after she died.  I sat down and just- wrote.  I wrote everything I could think of, every memory so I would not forget them.  There are names, quotes, song titles, anecdotes..it is us on that paper.  Our friendship, scribbled in my handwriting on the front and back of those pieces of notebook paper.

I am not alone thinking about Amy German, not on this day, not tomorrow- there are so many of us that keep her memory alive and keeping whatever memories that we shared with her sacred.  So to all of those people...you know who you are...just think about November 15th...everyday is a November 15th for someone, somewhere...if anything, I think we all know that and will not let a day go by to tell the people that we love that they are important to us.

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