The last night Carrie and Dale were in NJ, I gave Carrie a charm bracelet and accompanied it with a letter with a paragraph about each of those charms selected and why they symbolized so much of the past 7 years of my life with her as a close friend. I’ve rewritten that letter I gave to her, now in a different and painful tense, to share with you about just how important she was to me…
Carrie,
It’s hard for me to believe you are no longer here. It seems like just yesterday we were all relocating to NJ, and wondering what was in store for us – new state, new homes, new jobs, new friends. The last 7 years FLEW by, and I can sincerely say that when I look back on them, most of my fondest memories were times spent with you. You and Dale became so important to me, as loyal friends, travel partners, dinner dates, drinking buddies, and as real of a family as I can imagine ever wanting.
The bracelet I gave you was a way for me to express those things that I appreciated most about you. I miss you dearly, and will look forward to meeting you for our next trip together in heaven…
Phone – It all started with Verizon. Of all the great things we’ve received from Verizon (i.e. career success, financial benefits, lots of vacation days), none stands out more to me than the friends this company brought into my life. I’ve lived in a lot of places now, and you always make friends that form your social network where you live. But my friendship with you, Carrie, was beyond that. It’s as though God planned for all of us girls to find each other and be part of each other’s lives forever. His meaning of forever was simply shorter than any of us expected. The phone charm symbolized just how proud I was of you - my smart, beautiful and successful friend – for becoming one of the youngest female executives in a Fortune 15 company, yet always finding balance, prioritizing your wonderful husband, friends and family. You proved you can have it all and were an inspiration to me from the first day we became friends.
Dolphins – When I think about you, and about happiness, the first thing that comes to mind is the ocean. I’m so glad you were able to move to a place where you got to see it every day for the last months of your life. From sitting on the beach soaking up the rays to scuba diving, your love of the sea was transfixing. You always looked so amazing and graceful whenever you ventured from the beach into the water and dove in. You looked at home, as though you should be nowhere else. Also, the sea can be fierce when the winds are high, and every good seawoman needs an anchor to steady their boat in a storm. I’m so glad you had such an amazing anchor in Dale. No matter what weather came, you looked to him to provide you that confidence and peace of mind that he was holding on to you. And he did that in such a brave, loving and comforting way. Your friends will always cherish his strength and we will ensure we take care of him now, for you.
World – As I look at that map at your home of all the places you visited, it makes me smile. You made me realize how important it is to take vacation - and really unplug. And that there is so much to explore in this beautiful world. Some of the best trips of my life were with you, Carrie - Martha's Vineyard, Costa Rica, Hawaii, to name a few. There was no better travel companion than you. And although I’m saddened knowing our trips together are complete, you will always play a role as my travel agent in the sky.
New Jersey - It's the Garden State. And the fertile land here helped grow the most meaningful friendships of my life with you and Dale, and the rest of our gang. We have so many memories in New Jersey - countless dinners, backyard barbeques, cab rides back from long nights out in the city, weekend beach trips to the Jersey Shore, Short Hills shopping, tennis lessons, and more. This state, although possibly not any of our favorite, is what brought us all together, and I'll always cherish it as a result.
Handbag - Your love of shopping was contagious. At least that is what I'm blaming my shoe and handbag addiction on, as I didn't have it until I met you. J You were always the most stylish of any of my friends, managing to pull off classy and trendy all at once. You taught me that bags are investments, but you don't have to advise your significant other just how much each share is worth. And that retail therapy is real. I look forward now to travel and retail therapy – all combined together.
Clock – This is the one that was the hardest for me to write, but the one that is so applicable to all of our lives now. Carrie, you taught us all about how precious time is. And that we need to remember to stop and smell the roses, and cherish the time that God has given us. As you left for Hawaii and then ultimately from this earth, it made all of us realize just how fast time can fly. Didn’t we all just move here and meet? How could it be 7 years? Last year, on Superbowl weekend, it seems the clock sped up, unfairly. As you fought this brain tumor – I asked you to keep fighting hard. With everything you had. And I kept praying with everything I had. Every moment I spent with you was so important to me, and although I wanted to have those laughs, hugs, dinners, trips, and new stories for many years to come, God had a different plan. And it taught me to enjoy the precious moments we have. Time is a gift, just like your perfect friendship. I love you and miss you.