“Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and forever dear.”

~ Anonymous

Losing someone you love is always hard; it’s like a piece of your heart is missing that you won’t get back. Your life completely changes in front of you and you realize that the memories you had won’t be the same. But when the one you lost has someone as amazing as that person, it’s like they never left. They are a constant reminder that your loved one will always be with you and that piece of your heart that’s missing, is found.

I remember the first time we met and the moment I saw you, I knew that you would forever be a part of my life. You had that special spark about you that simply made you unique. It didn’t take more than one encounter to for us to click; that’s how you know someone is meant to be in your life forever. I’ve never seen Dave so happy with anyone else, someone who would make him smile every second of every day, and when you were around him, his smile would grow even bigger. I knew he won the jackpot; you brought out the best in him in every way possible.

Losing Dave was one of the hardest things my family has gone through, especially for my dad. They grew up together, across the street actually, and were best friends from the moment they met. Dave and my dad were similar in too many ways, from the jokes they would make (or at least attempt), to the drinks they would get (their love soda never got old), you could practically say they were brothers. They knew how to make each other laugh and would make sure to bring up the most embarrassing stories they had of one another whenever our families gathered together. Every moment with Dave was one to remember, but every moment with you and Dave, was an even better moment to remember.

When you and Dave broke the news to my family that you were getting married we were so happy. Dave found someone, the right someone to live the rest of his life with. You both made each other happy in every way possible. When the two of you would walk into a room it would light up with so much energy and love. Through all the mistakes and hardships you two had, you made it through and I’m so thankful because I truly couldn’t imagine Dave spending the rest of his life with anyone but you.

When my family found out that he had cancer our whole world changed, but we knew that he would fight through it because he was one of the strongest people we knew. You stood by his side for everything, every second of every day. That’s true love. But when I got the phone call from my dad saying that he had passed away I was speechless. I couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to. Hearing my dad heartbroken on the phone and saying the words “I wish I could hug you right now” made my heart drop. What was he going to do? That was his best friend. You lose friends in life all the time, but losing your best friend forever, physically, is something that you can never get back. As hard as it was I knew that we would all get through it, one day at a time; as long as we had each other we’d be okay.

“Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and forever dear.”

Thank you Lin, for not leaving my family because you’re the best gift my family could have; you’re the best gift Dave gave us. You have changed my life in so many ways that I can’t thank you enough. More importantly, you have changed my family’s life, especially my dads, in so many ways for the better, so I thank you, so much; it’s like his best friend is still there. Know that you are always welcome into our home because you’re family now, you were from the first moment we met, and family means nobody gets left behind. Thank you for being you and the amazing person that we’ve all seen grow throughout the years and whom we have grown to love so much, unconditionally. But thank you for being a constant reminder of Dave and all of the happy memories we've all had. You make it feel as though he never left, and that's the best thing any of us could ask for.