How do you say goodbye, when you've only begun to say hello........

Over the memorial day weekend, an angel was taken from us, her name was Rachel Reyes. And it still hasn't fully sunk in or hit me I guess that she is gone......

Emily called me early yesterday morning to inform me of the news, and later on that day I had the urge to call her on the cell phone...... But then realized if I did, she would not of picked up. If her phone was on at all, it was so family could inform friends who would call her unknowingly.... and it would not be her voice on the other line..... and that's when it really started to sink in. It still has not fully hit me yet in a way. I've shed a few tears and was deeply sadden all day yesterday, but I know it's only a matter of time before I let it all out.

I didn't know Rachel well, we weren't best friends, I hadn't known her since we were younger, & we didn't meet at school. I had met her before, & then was re-introduced one night when we went out for some karaoke fun down at Bourbon street with Emily. The next night we went out a place further in town for some karaoke fun and also hit up House Of Pies (with the sexy cops by the way LOL) One of the memories of her I will keep cracks me up every time I think about it. We were leaving that bar in town and heading over to House Of Pies. I was driving and she was on the passenger side. And as we were driving to House Of Pies she had rolled down her window & was yelling "WOOOOOO!!!!" the whole way. I kept telling her to stop it and stick her head back inside the car, but was also laughing to hard so couldn't really do that effectively. We would hang out a few more times after that night......

For the very short time that I had known her, it felt like I had known her all along. There was an instant sense of comfort in her presence. She was smiling, laughing joking, such a wonderful person to be around. And her voice, she could sing, and she sang beautifully. I remember the night I first met her parents & her brother and her mom said that I had to make her sing something challenging, that was my duty for the evening :) I went back in my mind trying to remember all the songs I had seen her sing but the only one that stick out is her performance of "At Last"

Rachel we will all be missing you terribly. Your shinning light touched so many of us in our lives in so many different ways. I know that when we go to say our final farewell it will truly not be goodbye, but a "See You Later." I know you're up there singing in the heavens, causing some trouble ;) But wait for me girlie, we're going to sing it up again!

I HEART YOU! and always will <3