Anna

I guess you can say I was raised right by my family.  I say please, thank you, open doors for people... you know the usual niceties.  But there is one thing that has taken me forever to do, and I am finally doing it.  Writing a thank you letter to the family of a dear friend who passed away.

Her name was Anna and she died back in 2009.  She was one of my best friends through middle school and the beginning of high school.  Anna had skipped a grade and made it into the same gym class as me.  She was brilliant, caring, charismatic and had a huge heart.  We instantly clicked.

She was an only child and her parents always loved having me join them for family events.  Trips to Mackinac Island, Stratford in Canada for the Shakespeare Festival, the many Ba'hai dinners we attended.  It was Anna and her dad who introduced me to Pink Floyd thoroughly.  So much happiness was had!

As what sometimes happens in life though, we all change. 

Anna started hanging with other friends and started getting into trouble.  I decided that life wasn't for me and stuck with our group.  It got to the point where her family took her out of our school and moved her to a different school, hoping things would get better.  She did graduate and went off to college, but her troubled past stuck with her.

I tried being friends with her once more during college after running in to her in our hometown.  I took her to a bonfire with me, thinking it would be a nice relaxed night.  Instead, she found that some of the guys there could get her a fix, and off she went.  Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her.  Me, lying when I said goodbye.  Saying I would talk to her soon, but I wouldn't.  It wasn't a lifestyle I wanted to be involved in. 

It was that lifestyle that eventually took her life.  Whether it was accidental or on purpose, Anna died of an overdose.  She was only 25.

At her wake, her parents were overjoyed to see me.  It had been years and like I said, I was family to them.  Her father actually skipped the line of people waiting to talk to them and came straight over to me and gave me a hug.  Many of the photos at her wake also included me with them on their family trips.  It was heartbreaking to see, but wonderful to know that the feelings I had always held for them in my heart, were mutual.

So here we are.  Just days ago marked four years since her passing.

This letter as I said has been years in the making.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Anna and her parents.  Movies, music, books... so many things remind me of them.  And this letter is one little thing that I have been wanting to do to let them know that they are loved.

If you know me, you know I am a VERY loving person.  I tell most everyone I love them, but when I say it, it's genuine.  If you've ever had me tell you "heart your face," you know it's true.

Love is a feeling that I can't help but want to share with people, and it's something everyone needs.  Whether it be sending a silly text, buying you a cheapo gag gift, bringing you your favorite candy, or making you a card with my usual construction paper and crayons... know it's truly from the heart and that I cherish you as a friend.

In life, I have learned to never take a day for granted.  I want the people I care about to know that they are loved, cherished, and make life better for me by letting me into theirs.

This is why I want to write to Anna's parents.  Though time has passed, they are still on my mind.  The memories they have left upon me are a guiding force in my life.  Even if they don't know it, they have changed my life for the better, and I heart them for that.

Though I miss you Anna, the memories you left continue to bring me much joy.

Thank you for being a part of my life.