It feels like yesterday when we were just little girls. I didn’t hold many worries at the time, but I knew you were filled with them; they held you hostage. I remember all the times that we’d stay Up All Night listening to our favorite band, pouring our hearts out with the nearest paint & DIY canvases. I Wish I had held onto those Moments a little tighter. The memories are slowly creeping from me now, they’re Walking in the Wind. I watched you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders as we’d cut posters from your “J-14” magazines. We’d sing along for hours to our favorite songs, giggling as we quizzed each other on which members were singing which parts. It was a Temporary Fix though, while we hid from the real world right outside your bedroom door. 

I admired how Strong you were… Though I knew the aching fear was eating at you over and Over Again. Despite the fear, You & I always knew how to feel Alive – making the most of our girlhood as it was fleeting before us. I’m grateful every day for our friendship and its journey Through the Dark, as your mother fought her war with cancer. I Would give anything to go back and relive those days, knowing what we know now – that she would be okay. 

Our girlhood did flee quickly, as did the Spaces that held all those memories. After your parents’ divorce, and your move to a new house, the sense of Home was lost. I watched as your mother swept you aside for her longing of a new life… But at the End of the Day, your dad was there to pick up the pieces. Your dad had one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known. His heart was always full of love and light to share… what a gift to us all that he received a second chance through that transplant 35 years ago. 

I heard the news that your dad had been diagnosed with leukemia. I had confidence that he would make it through, just like all the other obstacles he had endured before. The man I grew up looking up to, was Fireproof – Nothing could scorch him. I thought of you and our years spent together being kids and hiding from the world, when your mother was sick. I wanted to come hide away with you… in that safe space of listening to our favorite band and pouring our hearts out onto canvas like we used to, Why Don’t We Go There? Instead, from a distance, I pray for Something Great. 

On Father’s Day, your dad began his journey beyond the Clouds. If I Could Fly, I’d thank him one last time for everything. I would thank him for everything he did for our family during our hardships. I would thank him for the days of letting us be little girls, while he cared for your mother. I would thank him for bringing me a friend that only comes Once in a Lifetime. 

In Memory of Friendship. In Memory of Troy: July 3, 1965 – June 16, 2024.