It has been one month since I lost one of the best friends I have ever known.  Lisa
Garrett was killed in a car accident on January 22 on her way to catch the basketball bus.
This devastating event is something I will never forget.  My life will never be the same
because of this tragedy.
 Why did this have to happen to Lisa?  She was such a great person and was very
talented.  Lisa seemed to have everything in the world going for her.  It is still very hard
for me to understand why this had to happen, but I’m trying the best I know how.  This
was the first time I had to experience losing someone that I am very close with.  I still
can’t believe that I’ll never answer the phone and hear Lisa’s excited voice on the other
end telling a good story.  I won’t ever see her beautiful, smiling face coming out the door
when I pull into her driveway to pick her up.  She won’t show up at prom this year
looking totally gorgeous like she always does.  I won’t ever get to tell her all my
problems that she always listened to with all her heart.  I won’t ever get to play another
game with her.  We won’t ever get to go out and have a great time even if we’re doing
practically nothing.  Lisa won’t ever be there to share any more of the exciting moments
in my life.  I loved the way she was always so genuinely happy for me when I did
something good.  Thinking of all the things that won’t ever happen again is what makes it
the most diffficult for myself.
 Although ist is very hard to deal with the loss of Lisa, I believe that the calamity
has helped me to have a better outlook on life.  I am no longer fretting the small
problems that I am often faced with.  I’m simply thankful for what I have and realize that
things could always be worse.  I find myself putting my loved ones first in my life no
matter what.  I am enjoying the “little things” that didn’t seem very special before.  I
have learned to value every spare minute I spend with my friends, boyfriend, and family.
I realize now why it is so important to tell people how special they are to you.  One regret
that I can’t remove form my mind is the fact that I didn’t  ever take the time to tell Lisa
that I loved her.  I’m sure she knew that she was a best friend to me, but why didn’t I ever
tell her how much she meant to me.  The closest I ever came to telling her exactly how I
felt was when I wrote on my senior pictures to her.  I’m so glad  that I decided to write on
her pictures from me first.  I can’t wait to get to heaven to tell her how special she is in
person.
 Another thing that I have learned from the loss of Lisa is to cherish the memories.
I wish I would’ve taken my camera with me everywhere we went so that I could have
more pictures of the many memories.  I often find myself daydreaming with a huge smile
on my face about all the great times that were spent with Lisa.  Although I don’t have all
these great times on film, they are imprinted on my heart.  I also think of  Lisa when  I
look back on some tough times in my life.  She was always there when I needed to talk to
her about anything that was bothering me. Lisa never put me down or judged me for
mistakes or poor choices I have made.  She was always the one right there to pick me up
and tell me it was okay.  I guess you could say she helped me find the good in everything.
Lisa’s positive attitude about things often helped me to keep a positive outlook on any
situation.  That is another thing that I will always remember about my dear friend.
 I realize more and more everyday how hard it is to lose someone you love.  I
guess I just didn’t think it would be this difficult.  I know that there is a time and a place
for everything.  I have been trying to realize that God needed Lisa up there with Him and
I don’t blame Him one bit.
 I am sure that I will never totally recover from the loss of Lisa, my special friend.
I have learned that I just need to be thankful for the many great memories I have of her
and the great times we spent together.  I miss Lisa so much, but I will see her again
someday.  I will always be grateful to Lisa for helping me to know the meaning of “true
friends”.  I will never forget her.