My old best friend just recently passed away due to a drunk driver hitting her head on. Her death has left me wondering why bad things happen to good people and why people are taken away too suddenly. When death comes too soon I try to tell myself to remember when the I love you's were said, not when they weren't. We haven't talked in a year or so and I cannot remember what the last thing we talked about was.

I wasn't lucky enough to say goodbye. I never thought she wouldn't be a phone call or a text away. Although I will regret losing touch with her for the rest of my life, I've realized just because I didn't say I love you within the close timespan of her death doesn't mean I didn't love her. She brightened my life and I was very lucky to get to grow up with her.

Grief truly does come in waves. Sometimes it feels like it never even happened. Other times I feel like my entire heart is being ripped out of my chest. We all believe that situations like this are only things you hear about or see in movies. Until they're real and you are living with the pain of not having that person anymore. I miss her so much.

When I was told her condition was getting worse and not better I started searching for all the old pictures I knew we had. I couldn't, and still can't, believe that her beautiful face has been taken away. Every memory of swimming in her pool, watching Netflix in her living room, and telling scary stories in the room next to her that our friend group thought was absolutely terrifying, just came rushing back flooding me with emotions. It's unbelievable that this has happened to her. She was a beautiful girl and was full of kindness, a little sassy, but was the sweetest girl you could ever meet.

I will miss and love you forever.

Also, whether you're 21 or 78, if you drink too much please get a ride home. Don't ever risk another person's life just because you went over your limit. When involved in a DUI wreck, chances are you're not only ruining that person's life, you're ruining their family members and friends lives.

In Loving Memory of Chantel Elsesser...