Disbelief. That's all I really had when I found out Cassie passed away. I just couldn't believe that a girl, so full of life, was gone in the blink of an eye. It had been a while since she and I had talked; I think I saw her just a few months before, we spoke for only a few short minutes. If I remember correctly, the last thing we said to each other was: "Let's hang out! We can go get brunch or something."

It's hard to stay sad about the timing and the way in which she passed because Cassie was so full of life. If you were to ask anyone she knew, they would immediately begin with how kind, compassionate, funny, and beautiful she was. Cassie was an absolute giant, and to me she still is. Her faith and love for God (and others) was unstoppable. In her journal she wrote, "Never leave me Lord, keep me under your wing". I strongly believe that Cassie's prayers were and are, still being answered.

No one is really ever prepared to lose anyone in their lives, especially not at a young age. Cassie may have only been in her mid-twenties when she physically left this Earth, but her life and memory are still very present today. She loved everyone and was loved by everyone. Her life is a testament to what an incredible girl she was and how amazing our God really is.

In life, Cassie taught me many things. We may not have been best friends who have sleepovers and are in constant contact, but we were the friends who checked in and took care of each other, when necessary.

In knowing and loving this sweet girl, I've taken away so many lessons she taught me...

Cassie, thank you for teaching me to love others without reservation.

I don't think you ever met a person you couldn't love. You were always the first to show grace and compassion to strangers and kindness and generosity to your friends. Mark 12:31 says, "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no greater commandment than these." If your life had a mission statement, it would have been this verse. You were a light to so many.

Thank you for encouraging me to pray often.

Cassie, your faith was a true reflection of who you were. If one thing could be said about you and your time on Earth, it can be said that you 'loved Jesus, and talked to God often'. It was said that in your final days, you found comfort in the Lord and His love for you. When we traveled to Haiti together, I could always find you in our room with your eyes turned to God in prayer or studying the Bible. Thank you for being faithful to your walk and becoming such a great influence on me, to draw closer to Him.

Cassie, I wish I could have told you what you meant to me. Perhaps one of the biggest things I took away from your passing was how important it is to let people know what they mean to you.

I wish I had the chance to tell you in person, but since we've already said 'see you later', I'll just have to wait until we're joined together again. But until then, I'm going to make sure the people I'm here with now, know how much I love and appreciate them. You did such a great job of that everyday, everyone in your presence felt seen and heard. I know I did...thank you for that too.

Finally, thank you for showing me what it is to live a fulfilling life. Without a doubt Cassie, you touched lives everywhere you went. From work to school to church, your light and life reflected one thing: Jesus. Everyone who knows you knew this. While you were so intelligent and crazy beautiful, every single day you drew breath you reflected the glory and awesome plan of God.

So thank you, Cassie. Thank you for all the lessons you've taught me over the last three years. Thank you for being a true light in a very dark world. Thank you for our friendship and all the memories we made together. Thank you for always being yourself. Thank you for seeing the best in people, even when they can't see it themselves. And thank you, for being my friend.