Rest Peacefully...

If ever growing up I would have been told you wouldnt be here to celebrate your 27th birthday i would have laughed. i would have laughed harder if someone told me a motorcycle would take your life. Not you. No way. you had dreams. You had plans. You were meant to be someone big.

I have spent the past couple years thinking about times that we shared. I have spent time reflecting on our friendship and how we drifted over the years. Though we never parted ways completely, i always kick my own ass for letting my life be taken over by someone who became jealous of our friendship. i think that is one of my lifes biggest regrets. Our times spent together had spaced out, not only due to distance but because of my relationship at the time. I remember the last time we hung out. You came to my aunts house, and we hung out upstairs in my room and talked for hours. it was right before you would head back to college. We talked about everything. You were so excited to tell me all about your relationship and you were glowing!! i was so happy for you, but when it was time to tell you about mine...you became upset. you didnt like him. there were things you said to me that night, that i will never forget. things i should have listened to. I spent that night crying. If i had known, that would be the last time you and i would hang out--i would have done things so differently. You were one of my greatest friends. there are few who know me as well as you did..i miss that. after that night, we spent the next 2 years caught up in our own lives, which happens. I can remember each time you were going to come home, we would make plans-to make plans. somehow they always fell second best to whatever was happening at the moment. God i wish i could change that.  I remember the last time i saw you, i was at the mall..we talked for a few minutes, laughed at some memories, hugged and you told me to call you, i never did. i wish i could take that moment back, i would have hugged you forever. I remember the phone call, the most heartbreaking call ever. I heard patricia sobbing. and she just started yelling...'he's dead'--you were the last name i expected to hear.

I think back to climbing trees in my front yard. how you and trish would make fun of me because i was scared of ants. i would always end up jumping out of the tree. even if we sat up in that tree for hours, we never ran low on things to talk about. what always reins in my head are the talks we had about our futures. We promised to all raise our kids together. To always keep in contact. To make sure every time wee went into the mall--to moonwalk at least once.. (and YES i still do it) we always promised to meet up and eat loaded cheese fries and lemon water once in a while.  I think about these things and just think how unfair it is. you were an amazing person, the greatest friend. the memories we have are countless. I remember when i broke my wrist, during mid terms, i didnt study for any tests, so you had this brilliant idea to have me make flashcards with all the information i needed on them, you told me to stuff them in my cast and no one would find them..i passed my mid terms. I remember the time we were in walmart and you told me and trish you wanted to play truth or dare...we dared you to steal a fishing lure, you unwrapped it, and stuffed it in your pants... your face was priceless when you realized it had hooks!!! Bible class, hands down the best! Me, You and Shane in the back of the class.. and because you were such an 'angel' no one ever suspected you would do anything wrong...so when all of us didnt study, we placed the bible underneath the table and the 3 of us cheated. HORRIBLE!  who cheats in bible class?? what i want to know is if you had to answer to the big man for that one...because im unsure of an excuse *laughs* maybe i can borrow yours! Summer time swimming in my pool..Sundays in church, youth group they all take me back. I have a hard time thinking about harmony because it reminds me so much of you. Remember our Pew Crawl? how we would start all the way in the back of the sanctuary and army crawl all the way to the front underneath the pews? you always won. my big head slowed me down. at least that was your reason why i couldnt win. I remember at your funeral, i sat in those pews, that was the only thing i could think of.  I will  have you know, I have gotten a lot better in pool, each time i play i remember you. You and Danny (Grillo) were unbeatable...but that last time, at classic cue, trish and i put it on you two!! ha! each time i ski i think of you. you were the WORST teacher. ever. but i learned. you wouldnt let me go down the bunny hill..and each time i fell down the other hills, you sprayed me with snow and laughed. i stopped falling. so maybe you werent a bad teacher! Circleville park, bike rides, soccer practice, the food court in the mall, there are so many places filled with memories of our friendship. God, i miss you. I miss that you were only a phone call away. I miss that you would know how to make me smile when things just suck. I miss your banging on things as if they were drums. you made us all nuts. i miss you so much.

last night, i was laying in bed, i started to think about who you would be today. my heart just aches when i think about how you were taken from us so young...but i found comfort in knowing, you are home. I never ever have to doubt that. God has a plan for each of our lives. Once we have accomplished what the Lord needed us to, we go home. not a minute too soon. some people it takes 90 years to accomplish that...it took you 23 short years. you always were a hard worker and an overachiever. you did all the lord had planned in that time. amazing. you said hello to every person you were suppose to, you learned everything you needed to, you laughed the correct number of times, you fell in love, you made life long friends, you did all you needed to. I know who you are today. You are my guardian angel. I may not be able to have you on earth to talk to , but i have you in my heart, in my spirit, and watching down on me.  Thank you for all the memories, for all the laughs, for all the advice (even if i didnt like it at the time). Thank you for being my best friend and one of my greatest childhood memories. I love you forever Richardson. Please continue to watch over us. Your footprints are forever etched in my heart.Rest Peacefully.