Susan

I found out on Tuesday that one of my best friends passed away this last weekend.  Susan came into my life in the first grade.  From the moment she walked into our classroom, I knew we would be friends.  We shared so many memories and even a few secrets that we decided to never tell anyone about (mostly our doings when we were younger).  We gathered quite an eclectic group of friends.  I don't ever remember fighting or arguing with her.  We walked home from junior high with each other.  We both had embarrassing pictures of each other that we promised never to show to anyone else.  We were in choir together.  In the fourth grade, we built a model of a California mission out of styrofoam.  We shared two trips to Disneyland together.  We participated in science and academic competitions.  She is one of the smartest people that I know.  She looked out for me when we were talking about our future life plans, she knew I could be more than just a school teacher, but also supported me in my choices.  She accomplished so much in her life.  I regret that we grew apart a bit after graduating high school, but we still kept in contact through email and Facebook.  The last time I saw her, we met up for lunch in our hometown one Christmas.

It still doesn't make sense to me.  I don't think it's really hit me yet as it doesn't seem real.  Tonight I realized that this will be the first funeral I will attend for someone my age...that isn't supposed to happen.