Two Beautiful Young Ladies

So Christie came home yesterday from school and, very nonchalantly, hands me a package and says "here you go". It was her school pictures from middle school. I honestly just stood up and gave her the biggest hug I could and began to cry. This time is so very hard for me.

It was six years ago this January that our dear friends, Ed and Martina, lost their daughter Cora to leukemia. She was just entering the 7th grade. I remember getting her school picture at the end of 6th grade and saying "she isn't a little girl any more, she's a young lady with so much ahead of her now". And 8 months later, she was gone. She was diagnosed on July 17th and passed away on January 17th.

When I look at Christie now, I see her whole life in front of her. She is becoming such a beautiful young lady. She has new friends, in a new school and has so many new adventures ahead of her. We talk often of how many friends she has and I tell her, cherish the times you have because one day they could move away or something and all you will have are memories. I just hope that she never has to experience that ever again, or us.

So, although her picture isn't posted this very moment (promise I will get it up tomorrow), I want everyone that may read this today to take a moment to ponder one thing. CHERISH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR JUST A MOMENT RIGHT NOW. I never thought that when we moved away from Duluth, that the last time I would talk to Cora, would be over the phone. I promised her on Wednesday that we would be up on Friday to see her, but the pain was too much for her to bear, and she just couldn't hold on. She passed on Thursday morning. She told Martina to make sure to tell us, she still loved us, even if she wasn't there when we arrived.

I miss her almost everyday. It was as if I lost my own daughter. Christie lost a sister, and our entire family lost a wonderful friend, but the memories we have are so tremendous, that even after 6 years, I laugh so hard that it brings me to tears about how many fun times we had. Now that Christie is older, and has friends of her own that she goes off with away from home, I just hope she knows home much Ron and I love her and cherish EVERY WAKING MOMENT with her.

We still have Will and Ashley and Courtney who will be going through the same thing, but I think it is harder on us with Christie because Cora was her best friend. The first person she ever loved besides her family. The only reason she took her first step, went pee on the potty, and even got on her first bicycle. We love you Christie and we love you Cora. Two beautiful girls, that will forever be Young Ladies!