I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was five and carefree, running around with my friends at the local little league field as my older brothers were playing ball. It was a nice day, as the sun was shining down and the breeze ran threw my long, blonde hair. I had no idea that such a colorful day could turn so grey in a matter of minutes.

My mother's phone rang and her voice was calm, but unlike any tone I have ever heard her speak before. Her eyes weighed heavy with sadness. I instantly knew something was wrong as she called my name, and I ran over still laughing from something one of my friends had said just moments before. When I got to her, she embraced me tightly in her arms. So tight, like she wasn't going to ever let me go. As she slowly loosened her grip, I noticed tears running down her cheeks. I asked, "Mommy, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She put on the best smile she could manage at the time and said nothing, for she knew she was about to change my young and innocent life forever.

She simply looked me in the eyes and said, "You know how God has angels in Heaven?" I replied with a sweet yes, still not understanding why my mother was so upset. She then continued saying, "Well, today he was really in need of another angel, and her name was Corie." Suddenly, the pain hit my little body like a ton of bricks. My eyes instantly welled up as waves of tears came crashing down out of my green eyes. I couldn't breathe and my whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

A million questions flooded through my head. How could God do this to me? How could he take my babysitter away at such a young age? Why would he take someone so beautiful and full of life? Why would he put me in such pain? What did I do to deserve this? She was my role model. She was everything I wanted to be in ten years when I would be the same age she was. I didn't understand. I couldn't understand how I was no longer going to see someone that I had seen every day prior to this fatal day.

In a matter of minutes, my once playful smile turned into an unfamiliar frown. My mother tried to say a few things to make me feel better, but I couldn't hear them. My world had stopped. I felt like I was moving in slow motion while everyone around me moved at the speed of light. I was numb.

Everything that happened the rest of that day is still a blur to me. I was so young, and it took me a long time before I realized how blessed I am to have such a stunning guardian angel. 14 years later, and I'm still reminded of her every day. The color pink reminds me of her, a light pink like the color of a sunset, because that's the color of the last outfit I saw her in. "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias reminds me of her, because that's the song that was played at her funeral. Dragonflies, because she thought they were beautiful. And even though I know she's gone, sometimes I think I see her, but then I quickly realize it's just someone who is lucky enough to look like such an angel.

I miss her every day, but I know she's forever watching over me.