On May 23, 2015, the day after senior prom, my good friend Alyssa died. She was only 18.The local newspapers and even the nearest city’s news station reported that she was the only teenager to pass away from the flooding we had in south Texas that weekend. Her car was swept off the road and she drowned. I never even got to say good-bye.
People aren’t supposed to die in high school. They aren’t supposed to die before they have even begun their life. Alyssa was especially not supposed to die before she even began her future or even finished her schooling. It was always hard not to notice that Alyssa was in the room. She was always incredibly popular even when we were 5 and 6 years old. She had this infectious smile and this bright flaming red hair that matched her personality perfectly. She had this way of making everyone she came into contact with feel like they were the only person in the world to her. When she paid attention to you, she made you feel important like you were worth listening to.
It wasn’t until the second grade that Alyssa and I became really close. We were at our mutual friend Catherine’s house and we were the only ones up after our sleepover. I was telling her all about my new kittens at home (Alyssa was crazy about cats) and she was listening with wide eyes and an eager smile. She was going to try and convince her dad to let her bring home a kitten. It was a long shot but she was so excited to get one, her dad relented and said yes. She picked out one of the fuzziest orange kittens available and took him home. That was the beginning of our friendship.
Over the years we began middle school activities such as University Interscholastic League, sports and Honors programs. Alyssa and I were always in the same activities. She was my biggest supporter and my biggest competition; it was a healthy sort of competition that pushed me to be the best that I could be. Alyssa was the type of person that had advice for any situation that I needed help with, whether it was dating advice or school advice. She was my biggest supporter when I decided to go to Tarleton State University, join Delta Phi Epsilon and become a writer in my free time. She believed in God’s graces and that everything was beautiful because of Him. God was truly shining through her.
Even now, after she has left this world for her eternity of happiness, I can still see her in the way the sun shines or how amazing the day is. Sometimes when I am driving to work, I see her in the little things around me. She was always singing Taylor Swift and it never fails to remind me of her when Taylor’s songs come on.
Alyssa never truly realized the impact she had on everyone around her. She made the world a brighter and happier place.She left this place better than she found it and I don’t think she would have wanted it any other way. No matter what happened or what choices you made, she was there and life made sense. It was all going to be okay because Alyssa was there waiting to jam out to Taylor Swift or hang out by the pool. When Alyssa died it felt like no one was safe from the cruel touch of death, that good people always leave us no matter how they lived life.
We all experience loss, some of us more often than others. When I experienced the loss of Alyssa, it showed me that you need to live life like it was your last day because you never know if it is truly going to be the end for you. Alyssa taught me that God is there and always will be, through the good times and the bad; I might miss her more than ever before but I can count on her saving me a seat up in the greatest place to be. See you soon Lyss.
