Goodbye Kristy- til we meet again!

Dear Kristy,

Today is January 19th 2008, almost two weeks since your 30th birthday. I don’t know if you remember the last time we saw each other. It was the night that the 3rd book in the Twilight series was released and they were sold out at all the book stores but Costco had an some so you bought an extra copy for Ally and I stopped by to pick it up. If you’ll remember I came into your house and you showed me around and I was jealous of your TV. You did a great job of decorating your house, it was very nice. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see you in this life.
So, anyhow, I wanted to write this letter to let you know how your passing onto the next life has affected me. As you are probably aware many people have written many wonderful things about you on this blog and I just wanted to pass along my personal thanks for how you lived your life when you lived by us. I don’t believe I fully appreciated your personality, or maybe more appropriately your character and it is unfortunate that this had to happen before it finally hit me. I guess at the same time it is better late than never eh?
There are so many things I think I can write about you and how you live your life and I could try and emulate you in so many ways but let’s be honest we both know that it aint going to happen; it just isn’t in my nature to ask a lady if her boobs are real. ;-) I am just teasing ya Kristy; you know how that filter sometimes isn’t working.
But seriously, one thing I am going to try really hard to do is simply smile and say hello more often to people I don’t know. I promise that I will try to get to know people better and work harder at learning how I can help those who stand in need of comfort. That is the one thing that impresses me the most about you; you are always willing to be friends with anyone, regardless of their station in life. In that regard you have no filter and I want to be like that.
One last thing, you remember that blue dress you gave Boo? I remember when you gave that to her and you told Ally that it was your favorite dress when you were a little girl and you wanted Brenna to have it. I remember thinking to myself, “well if that was your favorite dress why would you give it away, why wouldn’t you give it to your daughter when you finally have one?” First of all Kristy I want to apologize about that, I am sorry that I had those thoughts; I didn’t know you at the time and I didn’t realize it was part of your character to be so giving. Also, how was I to know that you would never have a daughter of your own? I think I will always remember those thoughts I had when you gave something special and I scorned your charity. I know you will forgive me, I just need to learn to let it go myself.
I want you to know that I dug that dress out of the play clothing the week after you were shot. There are a few stitches that have come undone and it is a little worn. I showed it to my mom as she read the blog site last Saturday after the funeral. My mom was crying as she read and when I showed her the dress she held it up, and noticed the holes and said “I am going to fix this dress.” (She is really good with the sewing machine.) I want you to know Kristy that that dress will be taken care of, it will be fixed and it will be a reminder to me and I will make sure that it will always serve as a reminder to Brenna that that dress represents you and your life; in essence I will teach her that that dress represents charity.
Finally, I hope you are resting for a season and I wish you the best of luck in whatever calling you have coming your way. May God continue to bless you and your family, especially Brandon and Carter. Thank you so much for your service in this life, I suspect that when you passed through the veil you heard “well done thou good and faithful servant…” I hope that through your example, but more importantly the example of our Savior I too can be so lucky.
Peace,
Jon